Meat Paste & Chilli Blend by Gene Sim

Meat Paste

Ingredients 
2-3 tbsp chilli blend (see below)
2 tbsp fermented beans mashed into paste (I used miso to replace)
5-6 chinese mushrooms soaked and then cut into small cubes
10-12 shallots sliced
2 packs minced pork (bought from NTUC )

Method
1. Mix the chiili blend with the minced pork and add a pinch of salt if your blend doesn't have salt. Leave for about 15 mins at least.
2. Heat some oil in the wok and then add the shallots and shortly after the mushrooms , stir till fragrant.
2. Add the fermented bean paste (miso) and add a tbsp of water so that all can mix well . Add more water where necessary.
3. Add the minced pork and keep stirring and breaking up into small pieces .
4. Stir fry till it's dry (which is why we don't add a lot of water or have to stir fry very long to evaporate the water)
5. Serve on rice or toast and enjoy !

Seafood Paella by Maria Lim

Seafood Paella
Cuisine: Spanish
Traditionally paella is made on a Sunday because women needed a day off from cooking, so paella is usually made by the man

Ingredients
3 tbsp of olive Oil (if cooking for less people then less oil)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 – 8 large prawns (depending on the size of your pan)
8 – 12 mussels (depending on the size of your pan)
1 flower crab/blue swimmer (optional)
200g calamari, diced (usually I opt out)
300 g of arborio rice (Arborio is an Italian short-grain rice). Or look for Spanish Calasparra rice
750ml of fish stock from cube or powder (I used home made concentrated veg stock, cos I find fish stock very salty)

10 strings of saffron – Grind the saffron thread with a spoon (or use mortar and pestle) until it break up some fine powder. It helps to distribute it through the paella evenly giving a better colour and flavour to the finished dish.
2 tsp of smoked paprika

Some green peas or mixed peas (I used from frozen packet)
1/3 chopped English parsley
Some optional toppings (that is if you are not making seafood paella):
Sliced Chorizo
300g chicken breast fillet, diced

Preparation
1. Heat oil in paella pan over medium heat. Add onion, capsicum, tomato, garlic. Add chicken and calamari.
2. Add rice and stir for 1 minute. Stir in stock, saffron and paprika
3. When the stock is boiling and rice grains begin to swell, add prawns. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and rice has begun to swell. Push the mussels into the rice and cook until the shells open.
4. Finally add the peas and parsley and leave it for five more minutes on low heat.

Tips:
The perfect time to add the seafood to paella is when enough of the stock has been absorbed to allow the rice to be seen.DO NOT stir the paella during main cooking!

Beef and Prawn Lor Mee by Eileen Kou

Beef & Prawn Lor Mee (Braised Noodles)

Ingredients
[Serves 3-4]
1 pkt of Taiwan ban mian
1 pkt of stir-fry beef
200g prawn (with shell on)
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp five spice powder
¼ tsp white peppercorn
2 tbsp rock sugar
1 tsp chicken stock (powder)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
4 cups of water
2 egg whites
1 tsp potato starch mix with ½ cup of water
2 cloves of garlic, minced (add in some oil, mixed well and set aside)

Garnish and condiments:
Black vinegar
White pepper
Sambal chilli
Lime

Sambal chilli recipe:
3 tbsp chilli paste
3 tbsp oil
1/8 tsp salt or to taste
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chicken stock
1/8 tsp salt

Instruction
1. Heat 3 tbsp oil a small saucepan. Add chilli paste and salt and cook until oil rises. Dish out and set aside. Put garlic, chicken stock and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Blend into a fine paste. Set aside for use.
2. Heat some oil in a pot. Fried some minced garlic till it turn light brown in colour. Then add in the beef. Fried till it cooked. Set aside.
3. Boil the prawn (with shell on). Add in salt, five spice powder, white peppercorn, rock sugar, chicken stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce & oyster sauce (optional).
4. Turn the heat to low-medium and let it simmer for 2 hours.
5. Take out the prawn from the gravy. Remove the shell and set aside.
6. To thicken the gravy, use 2 egg whites. Pour slowly to boiling gravy. Then add potato starch solution to thicken further.
7. Blanch noodles in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. Remove, strain and place into serving bowls.
8. To serve, ladle the sauce over the noodles. Serve with the beef & prawns, ½ boiled eggs, sambal chilli and lastly, topped with the garnish and condiments.
9. Serve hot.

Aglio Olio with Bacon and Onion by Jonathan Tan

Here's what I used to make enough for 2

Ingredients
180 grams spaghetti
2-4 chilli padi (bird's eye chillies) sliced
5-6 rashers of streaky bacon (about 150 grams) cut into smaller pieces
5 cloves of garlic - sliced
1 yellow onion - sliced
Handful of rocket leaves or parsley for garnish.
1/2 cup chicken stock (optional - use the water from cooking the pasta if stock is not available)

Method
1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt into the boiling water. Add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Set aside when cooked. Its a good idea to run the pasta through cold tap water, to stop the cooking process if you are not frying and cooking pasta simultaneously. (Otherwise, its always best to toss the pasta in the pan when its right out of the pot)

2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. (Note: no oil add here) When the pan in heated up, add the cut up bacon and fry for about 3 mins.

3. Add in the onions and fry for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic, chillies with some olive oil and stir fry until garlic and onions are lightly browned and bacon is crispy.

4. De-glaze the pan with the chicken stock, pour the stock into the stir fry. Gently use a wooden spoon or spatula, very gently scrape the base of the pan. Let the liquid mop up all the brown goodness from the base of the pan, absorbing the flavor, forming a light sauce.

5. The liquid should start to boil/bubble. When the reduced by half, add the cooked pasta into the pan. Turn off the heat and mix well. You will notice that the pan will start drying up as the pasta absorbs the sauce.

6. Dish onto dinner plate, garnish and serve.

Recipe link: http://www.homecookedsg.com/2013/06/spaghetti-aglio-olio-with-bacon-and.html

Fried Potatoes with Ham & Cheese by Cindy Koh

Ingredients
5 medium size potatoes
2 slices of Ham (cut to small square pieces)
2 slices of Cheese (cut to small square pieces)
1 cup of corn flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Method
1) Remove skin of potatoes and boil them till soft texture. Add some salt and pepper.
2) Mixed 2 eggs with some soya sauce and pepper.
3) Use a ice cream scoop, put 1/2 smashed potatoes, dig a hole in the center, place ham & cheese inside. Add more mashed potatoes to cover it to make into a ball.
4) Drop the ball to the corn flour to have it cover with a layer of the flour.
5) Place the flour coated ball into the egg mix.
6) Roll the egg coated ball into the bread crumbs.
7) Deep fried till brown and serve while is hot.

Note:
1) The smashed potatoes cannot be too thin as the cheese will flow out during frying.
2) Remind kids when eating it hot to careful of the cheese liquid.

Pumpkin Buns by Vanessa Tay

Pumpkin Buns

Ingredients:
(makes 8 buns)

Bread flour 160g
Cake flour 40g
Milk powder 10g
Caster sugar 20g
Fine salt 2g
Instant yeast 3g
Water 90g
Egg 25g
Pumpkin puree 50g
Butter 20g
Pumpkin seeds (optional)

Filling:
Pumpkin puree 150g
Caster sugar 25g
Whipping cream 30g
Corn starch 45g (to be added last and actual quantity depends on the constituency)

Method:

1) Mix all the ingredients for the pumpkin filling well. Add in the corn starch to reach a custard like constituency. You may need more or less of the amount (45g) stated above. Set the filling aside for later use. Or you may place in the fridge.

2) Knead the ingredients for the bread. I used BM for the kneading and added the wet ingredients first, followed by the dry ingredients.Approximately after 2-5min of the kneading, I would add in the salt and the butter.

3) First proof the kneaded dough for around 1 hour. After that, slightly pump the dough and divide it into 8 equal portions. Cover these 8 dough balls with a cling wrap and let rest for 15min.

4) Flatten each dough ball slightly and fill in the pumpkin filling (around 1.5 teaspoon) carefully. Pinch the ends well to prevent leaking of the filling. The filling might be a bit watery. Hence please wrap with extra care to prevent leakage.

5) Place the filled dough buns onto a tray (you may place them in the paper cup casings). Press the buns slightly to flatten them a bit.

6) Let proof for another 1 hr.

7) Use a sharp knife or scissors and gently make cut patterns on the surface of the proofed buns. Please be careful not to cut too deep as the fillings might be exposed.  Egg wash and top with the pumpkin seeds.

8) In a preheated oven of 180 deg cel, bake for around 12-15min.

Ham and Cheese Buns by Sharron Wee

 Ingredients

(1 Egg yolk + Milk) 210g

Bread Flour 230g

Cake Flour 70g

Caster Sugar 30g

Instant yeast 4g

Butter 18g

Salt 4g

Ham Slices

Mozzerella/ Cheddar Cheese

1 egg, lightly beanten for egg wash

* Am using the Kenwood Breadmaker Model 250, Dough Function 8, to prepare my dough)

Method

Add wet ingredients followed by the dry ingredients into bucket ( except the Butter and Salt) into the Bm, Press Function 8 to prep the dough. Allow it to mix until the next pause then you add the Butter and Salt. Allow the BM to knead and first proof the bread dough

Remove the proof dough from the Bm. Remember to flour your hands well to prevent sticking. Place it on table top. gently punch the air out from the dough and shape it into a ball. Let it proof for abt 15 minutes. ( cover it w a damp cloth or cling wrap)

After the second proofing, separate dough into portions of 55grams each.

Roll out a ball of dough into an oval shape. Place a piece or two of ham and sprinkle generous amount of cheese onto it.

Wrap the ham and cheese filling within the dough

Use a pair of scissors and snip 4-5 little opening on the top surface of the bread dough.

Place bun on a baking sheet and leave it to proof for another 45-60 mins

Once 3rd proofing is done, brush egg wash onto the surface of the bread.

Bake it in preheat oven at 160deg for about 20 mins

Chocolate Guiness Cake by Tay Hui Sian

Chocolate Guiness Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake

250ml (9fl oz) Guinness

250g (9oz) unsalted butter

80g (3oz) Cocoa powder

400g (14oz) Caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp Vanilla essence  ( I used extract instead)

140ml (5fl oz) Buttermilk

280g (10oz) Plain Flour

2tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

½ tsp Baking Powder

For the Frosting

50g (1 ¾ oz) Softened unsalted butter

125g (4 1/4oz) full fat cream cheese

300g (10 ½ oz) Icing Sugar

Cocoa Powder for dusting.

Method

1. Grease and line the base of a 9 inch (23cm) spring form cake tin
2. Preheat the oven to 170C (325F)
3. Pour the Guinness into a saucepan and then add the butter and heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder and sugar into the warm mixture.
4. In a bowl, mix the buttermilk, vanilla essence, and eggs together. Add this to the mixture in the saucepan.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a mixer or hand held whisk. Mix on a low speed and add the mixture from the pan. Mix thoroughly until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for approx 45 minutes.
7. The cake will be baked when the sponge bounces back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool down, remove from the tin onto a wire rack and set aside until it has completely cooled down before adding any frosting.
9. To make the frosting, using a mixer or hand held whisk, mix the butter and icing sugar together until it is fully combined and smooth. Add the cream cheese and mix on a medium speed until light and fluffy.
10. Cover the cooled cake with the frosting, and lightly sieve a dusting of cocoa powder on top.

*Recipe is adapted from Hummingbird Bakery’s ‘Cake Days

Prawns in Chilli Crab Sauce by Chim Geok Ping

Prawns in Chilli Crab Sauce

Ingredients:

Mini Cups

3 pcs of big popiah skin

Oil

Prawn Fritters

12 Prawns with tails

Any type of Flour for frying prawn fritters & Seasoning 

Chilli crab sauce
Minced garlic

Cooking Oil

Sambal chilli
Tomato ketchup

Sweet chilli sauce

Sugar

Salt

1 egg

cornstarch and water

Method:

1. Deep fry the prawns in fritters and set them aside. 

2. Cut the popiah skin into quarters. Grease the muffin trays with some oil. Lay the popiah skin into the tray. Bake the popiah skin in the oven at 160 degree. Cannot bake for too long as it gets burnt easily.

3. Fry the garlic. Add in the sambal chilli and fry the sambal chilli for a while. Add in the chilli sauce and tomato ketchup. Add sugar and salt according to your taste. Mix cornstarch with water into the sauce to make it thick. Lastly, add in the egg.

4. Scoop the sauce into the popiah bowls. Add the prawn into the sauce and garnish with some parsley.

Soya Milk Tofu Bread Loaf by Vanessa Tay

Soya Milk Tofu Bread Loaf

Ingredients:

Bread Flour 375g
Instant Yeast 4g
Soya Milk 180g
Salt 5g
Sugar 30g
Silken Bean Curd 150g

Method:

1) Drain and let rest the tofu (beancurd) for 10min. After that measure the required quantity.

2) Bake as with normal bread-making procedure as per your breadmaker's instruction. I added the ingredients in this sequence: 1. Soya milk; 2. Silken bean curd; 3. Bread Flour; 4. Sugar; 5. Salt; 6. Yeast (in the middle of the flour, without letting it touch the wet ingredients)

3) Choose normal basic bread function and 750g weight.

Note: The recipe is adapted from the book “我爱面包机”. And all recipes in this book are using a Japanese breadmaker model which is vertical tall style. Hence your loaf will end up not tall if you are using the Kenwood brand (for example) though it is a 750g loaf.

Steam Chicken With Fish Maw & Wolfberrie​s by Wendy Kwan

Steam Chicken With Fish Maw & Wolfberrie​s

Ingredients

600g Boneless thighs  (cut into bite size)

60g Dried fish maw (cut into bite size)

10 Pieces of Shiitake Mushroom (cut into ½ size)

2-3 Tbsp Wolfberries

Marinate Chicken

½ Tbsp Oyster soya sauce

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Cooking Chinese cooking wine

1 Tbsp Corn flour

40g Fresh ginger (Shredded)

Marinate Shittake Mushrooms

½ Tsp Sesame oil

½ Tsp Oyster soya sauce

½ Tbsp Corn Flour

Marinate Fish Maw

1 Tbsp Oyster soya sauce

Directions

1.      Marinate Chicken for 4 hours. Set aside.

2.      Boil a pot of water. Add in the soaked fish maw and boil for one to two minutes. Rinse the fish maw under running water and marinate for 30 minutes.

3.      Cut off the stems of the soaked shiitake mushrooms then cut into ½ size and marinate for 30 minutes.

4.      Arrange Fish Maw, Shittake mushroom, Chicken with fresh ginger and wolfberries on top in a heat proof plate.

5.      Prepare the steamer and bring the water up to a rapid boil. Steam the chicken over high heat for 15-20 minutes, making sure it is thoroughly cooked.

6.      Ready serve with rice.

Garlic Knots with Cheese Filling by Samantha Hon

Garlic Knots with Cheese Filling

Ingredients:
(makes 4 big rolls)

240g bread flour
6g granulated sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
15ml olive oil
30ml milk : (I used 30ml hot water + 2 tsp of anlene milk powder)
135ml lukewarm water

Glaze: 1 cloves garlic – minced finely, 20g butter- melted, ½  tsp dried oregano, mozzarella cheese (amount as per your preference)

Method:

- Place the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, yeast + salt) and stir together.

- Add in the wet ingredients (olive oil, milk, water).

- Mix for 8mins using dough attachment. (leave last 30ml of water to add in by hand, after dough comes together). If not dough is very sticky to knead.

- Dough should be smooth and elastic.

- Oil bowl and leave dough to proof for an hour till doubled in size.

- Turn dough into lightly floured surface. And divide into 4 portions.

- Roll out into long strips (rectangle) about 20cm each

- Put in mozzarella cheese in between and seal tightly.

- Tie them into knots

- Proof for another 45 mins.

- While awaiting this last proof, make the glaze, if not butter will curdle and harden.

- Take the 1 clove garlic, mince finely, melt the butter and mix tog with the oregano and garlic.

- After last proof of 45 mins, then drizzle glaze over. Make sure entire bun is brushed with melted butter.

- Preheat oven to 175 DC and bake for abt 18 mins.

- Serve warm.


*I adapted my recipe from http://zoomyummy.com/2010/11/03/soft-garlic-knot to include cheese

inside the knots.

Ngoh Hiang by Nina Resis

My Mum’s Ngoh Hiang Recipe

Ingredients :
 (A)
 1 kg pork (diced - small; gd ratio of fatty : lean portion)
 1 kg prawn (diced - small; sweet small black prawns)
 800g water chestnut (diced)
 2 purple onions (diced)
 200g yam (diced)

(B)
 2 eggs (reserve some white for sealing ngoh hiang parcel)
 2 tbsp sesame oil

(C)
 2 tbsp corn starch
 1 tsp white pepper (optional, but I included)
 ½ tsp 5-spice powder (I excluded)
 10 wheat crackers (finely crushed)
 2 large tofu sheets (MUST wipe with damp cloth to remove excess saltiness)

Method :
 1. Dice and mix (A) till combine.
 2. Add in (B), followed by (C)…blend well.
 3. After cleaning tofu sheets, cut to desirable size (I tried both, the regular sausage size, and airfryer/HCP size).
 4. Spoon mixture onto sheets and wrap.  Seal ends with egg white.
 5. Steam regular sized ngoh hiang for 5-8 min on high heat, let cool, store.  I didn’t  steam the smaller ones, I store them in the freezer and pan-fried or airfried them when required.

Thai Minced Pork by Evelyn Kuek

Thai Minced Pork

Ingredients

400g of minced pork

2 large red shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsp of finely chopped garlic

1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped

1 lemon, juiced & zest

1 packet of Chinese parsley (Supermarkets sell in packets), finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, finely diced

2 bottles of Thai Chilli Sauce

2 tbsp oil

Method

Heat oil in pan and fry shallots till desired softness. Add in garlic and fry for 2 mins. 

Add minced pork and fry on medium heat for 10 mins. Stir thoroughly. Add Thai chill sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon grass. Fry for another 5 mins. Stir in zucchini and Chinese parsley before turning off fire. 

Peach Mousse Cake by Karen Yee

Peach Mousse Cake
(You many also replace with mango if you prefer)

Ingredients:
(For Sponge Cake)

250 gms Optima spongecake mix
4 cold large eggs
50 gms of water
60g corn oil

Directions:

Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan. Preheat the oven at 180C.

Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl EXCEPT the OIL. Mix the ingredients well at high speed till the consistency is thick.

Gradually add in the oil and continue to beat at slower speed until the oil is well mix with the batter.

Pour into the pan and bake for about 25 to 30 mins. Remove the cake and turn the pan over on a cooling rack to cool. Slice the cake horizontally into 2 or 3 equal portions (depending on your preference).

Ingredients:
(For Peach Mousse)

17g of gelatin powder (I use Redman)
60g Hot water
450g Whipping cream
5 tbsp of icing sugar
375g peach puree (room temperature)
1 tbsp of peach syrup (from the can)
200g peach slices for filling (or more if you prefer)

Directions:

- Dissolve gelatin in hot water completely.

- Add to the peach puree.

- Add peach syrup and mix well

- Whip the cream with icing sugar till soft peaks

- Add peach puree mixture to the cream and beat till incorporated.

To assemble:

- Prepare a springfoam pan slightly bigger than your cake.

- Place the first layer at the bottom of the pan.

- Pour over and spread half of the mousse to the sides of the pan.

- Place slices of peaches on the mousse.

- Place the 2nd layer over gently and repeat the same. Pour the rest of the mousse over covering the entire cake. You can place more peaches on it if you prefer. Otherwise you can decorate it one it has set with the fruits.

- Pop into the freezer to quick freeze it for about an hour and then transfer to normal refrigeration. If not possible to freeze, just pop into the fridge.

- Refrigerate for about 4 to 8 hours till it is properly set and then decorate as you prefer.

Chocolate Mousse Cake by Karen Yee

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients:
To make the Chocolate sponge Cake:

3 large eggs, separated
1 large egg white
180 grams granulated white sugar, divided into 130 gms and 50 grms
85 grams all purpose flour
40 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
120 ml safflower, canola, or corn oil
80 ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat oven at 180 C. Grease a 9" cake pan

Separate the eggs into 2 bowls, add one more egg white to the bowl with whites.

Seive and whisk together the flour, sugar (130 grms), salt, baking powder, cocoa.

Mix the oil, water and vanilla together in a cup.

Beat the egg yolks at high speed for about 2 mins.

Turn to low speed and gradually add the oil mixture in until well combined.

Then add the flour mixture in gradually, until incorporated

In the separate bowl, beat the egg whites till foamy, add the cream of tartar and beat for about a min.

Add the remaining (50 grms) sugar in gradually till you achieve soft peaks.

Fold in the egg white mixture into the other mixture then pour the mixture in the cake pan and bake for about 45 mins.

Check with skewer. Remove cake and invert it to let it cool completely.

Cut the cake into two equal layers horizontally and frost with fudge frosting.

Ingredients:
To make the chocolate mousse (Adapted from my idol chef, Mr Bobby Flay’s recipe):

20grms Caster sugar
150 grms Semi-sweet chocolate
1.5 cups of whipping cream
3 large egg whites
¼ tsp of cream of tartar

Directions:

- Place chocolate in a double boiler to melt them gently using low heat. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula (this is a tip I got from a site that teaches how to temper chocolate).

- When chocolate has melted, turn off the heat and let it continue to sit on the double boiler, stirring occasionally.

- Meantime, beat the whipping cream over a pot of ice water till you get stiff peaks. Set aside at room temperature.

- Put the egg whites and sugar over another double boiler and whisk for about 5 to 10 mins to gently cook the egg whites. It should turn foamy and increase slightly in volume.(ideal temperature is about 70C). If you are comfortable having raw egg whites, you can skip this step altogether.

- Then whip the egg whites with cream of tartar with a electric mixer till you achieve stiff peaks.

- Fold all the egg whites into the melted chocolate.

- When the whites are almost incorporated, add the whipped cream and fold in.

To assemble:

Use a springfoam pan, slightly larger than the cake you have baked.

Place one layer at the base of the pan, spread half of the mousse on over, filling to the sides of the pan.

Then place the 2nd layer on top and spread the rest of the mousse over till the whole cake is covered.

If possible place immediately in the freezer to quick freeze it for an hour before placing it under normal refrigeration for another 4 hours or more.

Remove the springfoam and decorate as you prefer. I used chocolate flakes for the sides.

Do keep the cake refrigerated as mousse tends to melt faster than other frostings.

Blueberry Macarons by Pauline Tan

Blueberry Macarons

Ingredients:

90g icing sugar

50g ground almonds

1/2 tsp natural blueberry extract (optional)

1/2 tsp blue food colouring paste

20g caster sugar

40g egg whites (ard 1 large egg)

¼ tsp cream of tar tar (optional)

Blueberry & Vanilla Jam Filling

1 tsp vanilla extract

350g blueberries

150g caster sugar

2 tbsp water

For the Macarons:

Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Sieve together the icing sugar and almonds into a large bowl.

Add blue food coloring paste and mix

**(I didn’t mix it evenly so that I can achieve marble like pattern on the shell)

Place the egg whites into the clean bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and have a hand mixer ready.

Beat the egg whites until foamy, and then gradually add in the sugar and the cream of tar tar

 Continue to beat the egg whites to soft peak, and add blueberry extract (optional)

(if you want to have more blueberry flavour for your macarons l)

Continue to beat until stiff peak (use high speed)

***(But be careful, do not over beat the egg whites)

Once you have achieve stiff peak, add your dry ingredient into your meringue

Fold in your ingredient until you achieve lava like consistency (ard 40 fold depending on your strength)

The batter is ready when it falls from the spatula in a ribbon, this ribbon should disappear back into the batter after about 30 seconds

 Use a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip to pipe rounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Lightly tap the bottom of the tray on the work surface to remove any small air bubbles. Put the tray aside for between 30 minutes and 1 hour to allow the macarons to dry, you should be able to touch the macaron and come away with a clean finger, the macarons will be noticeably firmer.

 Pre-heat oven to 140C

Bake the macaron shells for between 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately slide the greaseproof paper onto a clean work surface. Leave to cool completely before removing from the sheets.

For the filling:

Combine the vanilla extract with the blueberries, caster sugar and water in the saucepan and place over medium heat for 10 to 15 min until thick and syrupy

Remove from the heat and sieve the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool for about 1 hr

It will thicken considerably whilst cooling

Pair your macarons shells up and sandwich them together with a teaspoon of blueberry and vanilla jam.

Oven Baked Chicken Cutlet by Jonathan Tan

Oven Baked Chicken Cutlet

Recipe link:
http://www.homecookedsg.com/2013/06/oven-baked-breaded-chicken-thigh13.html

Purple Sweet Potato Bread Buns by Nina Resis

Purple Sweet Potato Bread Buns

Ingredients :

Bread flour 250g (I sneaked in 30g wholemeal flour)

Purple mashed steamed sweet potato 150g (I sieved to get rid of tough fibers)

Sugar 30g (I sub with 10g + 20g honey)
Milk 170g (largely depending on flour absorption, for mine...I used 170g)

Yeast 3g

Butter 30g (I used unsalted)

(I addedd 4g salt, not in recipe)

(I milk-washed n sprinkled chia seeds then wash again to make them stick)



Method :

Straight dough method, 2 rises, bake @ 180 degC for 45min.

1) Add in ingredients according to your Breadmachine or mixer’s procedure. For my Zoji mini, I added in milk, mashed potato, honey, then, flour, sugar, salt, yeast.

2) Knead for 8 mins, add in butter, continue to knead for another 8 mins in machine. Take out and knead by hand for a further 10min or so till “window pane” stage.

3) Oil bowl with butter and let dough proof for 60 min or double in size.

4) Weigh and divide dough to desirable size, I divided mine into 12 balls of 53g each. Shape and let proof in baking pan/dish for another 50-60min.

5) Brush dough top with milk, sprinkle with chia seeds or sesame seeds (or without any), brush again to staple seeds onto buns.

6) Bake at 180degC for 45 mins.

7) Unmold and let cool.  Store.


Recipe adapted from xiaohomemade.blogspot.com