Friday, August 20, 2010

Carrot Cake - Featured at Bakeolicious on 10 Nov 2010

This is an all time favorite cake of my family and friends. My dear friend Diana asked me for the recipe last week and I just got to bake this cake today and here it is:D


Carrot Cake










Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar.
2 cups sieved all purpose flour.
1 tsp. salt.
1 tsp. Cinnamon, ½ tsp Nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed.
1 tsp. baking powder.
1 tsp. baking soda.
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil.
2 tsps. vanilla.
4 large eggs.
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are good, but any nut will do).
1/2 cup raisins.



Method:
1. Grease and flour or lined with baking sheets a 8” x 3” round tall pan.
2. Stir together dry ingredients.
3. Squeeze out some of the juice from the shredded carrots
4. Now add to the dry mixture, the carrots, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
5. Beat about 2 to 3 minutes until well mixed.
6. Stir in the nuts and raisins.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 to 60 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting with Sour Cream

2/3 cup icing sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sour cream

Seive the icing sugar and set aside.  Beat 1/2 cup sour cream and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Add  1 tea spoon at a time the icing sugar.  Spread frosting over cooled cake.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Pavlova or Palova

I first tasted the Pavlova in The Ishii’s Residence on 4th July this year.  Their friend, Cheng Yi baked it.  It was really delicious and I decided to make one, one day myself.  If you want to try it, here is the recipe.


Pavlova: 











Ingredient:
120 grams egg white
1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whippingcream
1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruits of your choice.

Method:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in.
Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.) 
The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days. 
Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.


Sunday, August 15, 2010

Ah Lui Jay's Turnip and dried squid stew

Many may mistaken that this dish is Ju Hu Char but it is not. There is no shredded mushroom or shredded pork. My Mum make this dish to be wrapped in lettuce and it is really refreshing and tasty and will never feel full. It can be eaten as a snack before the main meal or as a side dish for the main meal to be eaten with rice.  If you like it spicy, you can spread some sambal belachan on the lettuce before putting the stew turnip and dried squid.  

Ah Lui Jay's Turnip and dried squid stew


Ingredients:
1)      1 cup julienne carr0t
2)      4 cups julienne turnip
3)      1 cup julienne black fungus 
(washed and soaked till all opened and soft)
4)      25gm dried shredded squid 
(washed and soaked till soft)
5)      2 tb vegetable oil
6)      2 tb oyster sauce
7)      1 tb black sauce
8)      1 tb sugar
9)      1 chicken stock cube
10)  2 ½ cup water
11)   Spring Onion for garnishing

Method:
Heat oil and sautee turnip till translucent and scoop off the wok and set aside.
Add carrot and shredded dired squid and stir fry till carrot is soft and you smell the fragrant of the dried squid. Add turnip, black sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and chicken stock cube and water.  Stir and conbime well and let it stew till turnip is limp.

Serves with lettuce and sambal belachan.  I like it with romanian lettuce.




Saturday, August 14, 2010

Dinner with good Company - The Ishiis

We had a wonderful evening with John and Diana Ishii... Pictures speak a thousand words:)

The table setting for the evening


Antipasto
  

Plum Tomato & Puglia Cherry Cheese Salad


Lyonanise potatoes

Grilled code in Pine Nuts White Wine Creamy Sauce with asparagus


Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Fetucinni with seafood in White Creamy gravy

Remember the grilled Pork Shoulder and fetuccini recipe a few days ago?  You see I have some left over gravy from the grilled Pork Shoulder and a serving of cooked fetuccini pasta from the pasta meal.  As I would like to clear up some space in my fridge, I decided to use them all up.  This is how.  Preparation and cooking time is only 45 mins.
  
Fetucinni with seafood in White Creamy gravy

Ingredients:
Left over sauce from grilled Pork Shoulder (about 2/3 cup)
Left over cooked fetuccinni (1 serving)
1 tb chopped garlic
2 tb Olive oil
1 tb soya sauce
1 ts sugar
1 tb spoon chopped Chinese Parsley
1 tb spoon diced spring onion
½ cup water
1 tb spoon cooking cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 – 8 medium prawns,
6 – 8 fresh scallops

Method:
Marinate prawns in soya sauce, sugar and black pepper put aside for 30 mins. Fry garlic in Olive oil till fragrant.  Add the left over sauce.  Let it simmer for 2 secs, add water and simmer another 2 sec.  Add in prawns cook for about 2 mins, add scallops and cook 2 mins.  Add cooking cream to thicken the gravy.  Add fetuccinni and mix well with the gravy and garnished with spring onion and Chinese parsley. 

I served this with left over Garlic Cinnamon pumpkin, steam spinach in butter and freshly baked French bread of course.  

Darling,  lunch is ready!! :D