Yamie - Nasi Bryani & Yellow Curry

Yes, time to be lazy when I happen to be not in the 'mood'... Sometimes just wanna a easy way out. I do have premix, ready-to-eat conveniently at home on days that I want to be simple. Fuss-free, I would say. 

This fateful dinner, was sort of intrigued by hubby who say this Bryani Rice packaging on our weekly grocery shopping. So grab a Bryani version and Claypot version since it is on a promo again. Yes, very much tempted by all cheap bargains at supermarkets. Haha, and Did I mention? I got a Myojo Lor Mee Bowl cos of the same word - Promo again!! 

Anyway, let the picture do the talking. I just follow instructions on the packaging, idiot-proof cooking time. Just follow the steps and you won't go wrong. I simply microwave the rice, replace low-fat milk for coconut milk. And there it is, a simple dinner for 2. 

Taste wise, curry is yummy. Rice is average. Try it.

A sumptuous western meal

A yummy meal that is wiped out in less than 15minutes by my 2 toddlers who usually take ages to finish their dinner. I added salad to their western meals for a touch of green. Usually a sunny-side, chicken or fish with salad.

Deep-fried Fish Fillet
2 pieces of Sutchi Fillet
Marinade
1Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1Tbsp Sesame Oil
Dash of pepper
Dash of black pepper
Dash of cornflour

Cut the fish fillet to desired sizes
Marinate the fish at least 1-2hours earlier
Prepare bread crumbs
Cover bread totally with bread crumbs and deep fried til golden brown

Pan-fried Salmon
1 piece of salmon
Dash of pepper
Dash of black pepper
Dash of salt
Dash of garlic powder

Cut Salmon into pieces and marinate with seasonings 1-2hours before
Pan fried til cooked

Pan-fried Chix Thigh
2 piece chicken thigh
2Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1Tbsp Sesame Oil
Dash of pepper
Dash of Cornflour

Cut Chicken thigh into pieces and marinate 1-2 hours before
Pan fried til cooked

Salad
Lettuce
Boiled baby carrots
Tomatos
Crabsticks
Bacon bits

Wash and cut the greens
Toss with mayonaise and bacon bits

Another bread recipe to 'bookmark'

I tried another great bread recipe rav by my MFWL's kakis who have tried it and said that it is soft and yummy. All thanks to a great person on Facebook - Soh Pin Tee, willing to share all her great recipes with fellow bakers. And I would say, I really love the soft, kinda chewy texture instead of the soft, cottony texture bread. Got that 'jiao jing' bite to it. Loves..
I tried it once, following the original recipe, using plain bread flour solely. Hubby and I love it, and we finished a batch of bread in 2 days, for Breakfast, Supper and even as snacks thru the day.
And I tried it again, this time i modify and added Wholemeal flour, still soft, texture still chewy but a little not as soft as the 1st time. So maybe I should reduce a bit of wholemeal to 50g, instead of 100g this round? Made some mini hotdogs, plain bread rolls & garlic bread roll. I did some otah bread as well but didnt post it cos the pics doesnt justify the bread la.
I do not have her blog so I am gonna just type out and credit to her, in words. Maybe 1 day I will be able to find her blog. =)

Recipe
340g Bread Flour***
50g Sugar
1Tbsp Yeast
1/2tsp Salt
210g Milk
40g Butter

Method
Mix dry ingredients for 1 min
Add in Milk and knead into dough
Add in Butter last and knead til elastic and smooth. (Do the membrane test at this point)
Leave to proof for 1hour
Punch out air in dough, cut and divide and rest 15mins
Shape dough and fill with desired fillings, proof another 45mins
Brush with milk before baking
Bake at 180deg for 15-20mins or until bread surface is browned

***I added 100g Wholemeal + 240g Bread flour for the 2nd round. Will reduce a bit next round to work on the softness***

The advanced mooncake trial

Much to my anxious and also 'kan-cheong', i was already trying to find out which recipe can make the softest snowskin mooncake's skin. I have tried a couple and not satisfied with it (which I do not want to name which are as different bakers may yield different results so it wont be fair to criticise or say any recipe not good). So i happen to chanced upon this 2 recipe that I really like. And i will share with all the viewers who are keen to try out at home.

I tried a recipe from Anncoojournal, using those snowskin premix. It was easy to handle and it is really soft and chewy texture. I used that for Lotus & Green Tea paste. Another was from Auntyochanna, using Ice Cream Soda with Kou Fen and it was really nice. I used it for Durian paste and added durian essence to the skin. It smelled like durian ice cream, those traditional type. Yummy and soft with a sweet durian smell.

I have made them into Kitty, traditional design and then spent 6-7hrs 1 afternoon, rushing out some trial samples orders for my friends and my mum's collit. A total of about 150pcs mini snowskin mooncake already took me 1/2 day.. tired tired. But end result was great when you see all the colourful mini mooncakes in front of you.

Snowskin Mooncake (Recipe from Anncoojournal)

45g Ordinary Kao Fen
225g Snowskin flour (KWT Pinpe Premix Powder)

60g Icing sugar
45g Shortening
350g Water
1/2 tsp Green tea powder

Boil 350g water and green tea powder together and cover with lid, simmer at lower heat for 5 minutes, leave to cool. Stir well and measure green tea water to 300g.

Combine kao fen and snowskin flour (KWT Pinpe Premix Powder) in a large bowl and set aside.

In a pot, mix 300g green tea water with icing sugar and shortening together and bring them to boil until shortening melted, stir with a hand whisk.
Pour the hot liquid mixture to the flour and use spatula to stir mixture to soft dough and leave dough to cool (you'll find the dough is quite oily at this time) then knead dough again to smooth.
Measure dough to 22g and wrap in 25g green tea lotus paste.
Roll it into a ball and dust with some cooked glutinous rice flour (Gao fen 糕粉).
Press firmly into mould ~~unmould it and store in airtight container.
Chill green tea snowskin mooncake before consume.


Snowksin Mooncake using Ice Cream Soda (Recipe from Aunty Yochana)
90 gm. fried glutinous rice flour (Kao fen)
10 gm. tang mien flour
30 gm. shortening
40 gm. icing sugar
200 gm. ice-cream soda or 7-up
little pandan, pink, lemon yellow colouring

Sift the glutinous rice flour and wheat starch into a mould.
Add in icing sugar and shortening and mix till thoroughly mixed.
Pour in ice-cream soda and mix into a soft pliable dough.
Divide dough into 4 portions. Add colouring to each portion, leaving one portion white.
Place each dough between plastic sheets and roll into a rectangular flat piece of the same size. Stack the dough on top of one another, then roll into a swiss roll.
Cut into 6 equal pieces. Divide the lotus paste fillings into 6 portions.
Roll the spiral part into a flat piece and wrap with lotus paste filling. Press into a mooncake mould then knock out.
Chill before serving.

Please try both recipe as it is really good. 1 is soft and chewy to texture, another is soft soft and feels like ice-cream snowskin.

Coffee, Chocolate & Cinnamon

Using back the straight dough recipe, I have been making lots of bread cos it is finished as soon as it is baked. So practically been baking them every other day that I am having so much fun making them. Sharing them with my neighbour who equally loves them.

I tried making my own version of Cinnamon & Choc Chips buns, Chocolate Chips Hot Cross Buns and also the much requested Coffee Bun (po-lo bun style) by my neighbour.

Hubby loves the Cinnamon & Choc Chips most, I love the Chocolate Chips Hot Cross Buns and the Coffee Buns, loved by my neighbour.

So here it is, the basic bread recipe with 3 different versions of toppings u can consider for your bread for a more interesting breakfast, else than the usual hotdog, ham and cheese.

Basic Bread Recipe x 2 (you can refer here)

Cinnamon & Chocolate Chips Buns

35g bread dough for bun

1 Tbsp of Cinnamon Powder

1Tbsp of Butter

1tsp of Sugar

Chocolate Chips

Mix them well together and spread over the bread dough after you roll them out

Sprinkle chocolate chips to the amount you prefer
Roll up tightly like a swiss roll. Cut evenly and put them in a baking tray

Chocolate Chips Hot Cross Buns
35g bread dough for bun
1Tbsp Melted Chocolate
2Tbsp Plain Flour
Chocolate Chips
Roll bread out and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Roll up like swiss roll.
Cut equally and roll into buns of 35g each
Pipe Melted Chocolate + Plain Flour in a 'Cross' shape over each buns after buns doubled in size

Coffee Buns (i modified from the Po-Lo Bun crust here)
無鹽奶油60g,細砂糖40g,高筋麵粉120g,雞蛋1/2個,
(外皮用高筋麵粉會較酥,用低筋麵粉會較軟)
**unsalted butter 60g, sugar 40g, bread flour 120g, egg 1/2**

步驟:
1.無鹽奶油放置室溫軟化,高筋麵粉過篩,雞蛋打散取一半
Leave butter to soften in room temp, sift flour and beaten egg into half portion
2.無鹽奶油+細砂糖用打蛋器攪打成毛絨絨泛白程度
Whip butter & sugar til pale
3.再將雞蛋分2次加入攪拌均勻
Add egg slowly and mix well
**i added 1tsp coffee granula melted in 1tsp hot water for coffee flavour**
4.將過篩的粉類加入攪拌均勻成團狀
Add flour and mix well to form dough
5.包上保鮮膜.放入冰箱冷藏1個小時
Referigerate dough for 1 hour
6.冷藏到麵包開始整形之前取出,平均分成8等份搓圓
Divide into 8 portion and wrap over shaped bread buns

Hope you will have fun baking them. The aroma of chocolate, coffee and cinnamon when they are in the oven, it is so therapatic. It goes really well, just in time if you start making them in the morning for a cup of tea or coffee for tea break. lovessss...

Mini Baked Oreo & New York Cheesecake

Decided to make some cheesecake as it has been long since I last made them. Have been experimenting a lot with different flavour of bread and haven been baking cakes. So, this round I decided to try this recipe that I come across from EllenaGuan and replaced with the less fat cream cheese.

The taste is really yummy even though I didnt use the usual cream cheese. It taste like eating ice cream cake, not too overwhelming and not too sweet. I love it, hubby loves them too, as well as the little ones at home. So, definately gonna make them again if I am hosting a small party at home.

Baked Mini Cheesecake (Oreo & New York, modified from EllenaGuan)

Ingredients:1 Pack (135g) OREO Cookies, cream removed and finely crushed

**i used 4 pieces of digestive biscuits, finely crushed for NY Cheesecake**

50g Unsalted Butter, melted
150g Sour Cream **replaced with whipping cream*
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese **i use less fat cream cheese**
1/2 Cup (115g) Caster Sugar **i use 100g**
3 Eggs(55g each)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Finely Grated Lemon Rind, about 3 lemons
3 Tablespoons (45ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
Extra Mixed Berries for Toppings, optional

For the crust:
Crushed the oreo biscuits and digestive biscuits seperately in a zip log back with rolling pin.
Melt the butter in microwave and slowly add to the crushed biscuits til it is well mixed.
Press into the cake liners in muffins tray. Chill before use.

For the cream cheese:
Mix cream cheese, whipping cream, sugar and lemon rind in mixer til combined.
Add eggs 1 at a time. Add lemon juice.
Take out prepared crust and scoop cream cheese batter into them, 80% full.
Bake at 160deg for 40-50min. **i shake the tray a bit to see if it is slightly set and wobbly to check if it's ready)
Leave to cool in oven with door slightly ajar.
Chill in fridge overnight before serving.

Another bread recipe to keep

A dear friend of mine from FB introduce a new recipe for making bread that doesnt require the extra effort of making TangZhong, and also some tips at the same time for kneading the dough with the mixer. I really thank her for that. Been so long, I have been trying to acheive that softeness and fluffiness. Oh my, this few days I have been baking batches everyday. It yields about 15-18 fist size breads, and just enough for the family's as snacks, supper and breakfast. And i get to really satisfy my own Otah Bread craze with this.

Another sidenote, I read from a blogger that I cant have a 1:1 proportion for the Wholemeal flour to Bread flour as the Wholemeal is denser and will cut the elastic membrance of the bread, resulting in a not so soft bread to have. So i decided to just amend the recipe to 2:3 Wholemeal:Bread flour. Really so so different in texture after all the tips from my friend and also the guideline from this blogger.

how the dough looks like when it pass membrane test

the softness of the wholemeal bread

White Bread Flavour

Wholemeal Flavour

Bread (direct method, adapted from Dequeen Kitchen)
143g milk
35g egg
25g castor sugar
5g salt
250g bread flour **100g Wholemeal + 150g Bread Flour**
4g instant yeast

38g unsalted butter(softened)

Mix all dry ingredients and stir till well combined. Mix all dry ingredients and stir till well combined.

Add egg followed by milk till dough is formed.

Let the mixer knead for another 8 minutes.

Add softened butter and knead for 10 minutes or till dough is not sticky and forms a membrance when stretch.

Place dough in a greased container,cling wrap it and proof for 45 minutes or till it doubles its size.

Remove and divide them into small doughs(around 25-30g) and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out,fill and shape as desired.

Place shaped dough onto lined baking tins,cling wrap and proof for 45 minutes.
Brush the top with milk.

Bake in a pre heated oven for 12-15 minutes at 160°C.

Remove from baking tin immediately and cool on rack.

**To make wholemeal flavour, I made the above amendments**

Finally.. Oreo Hokkaido Chiffon

Finally had the chance to really make this but the end results, it depends on individual. My aunt who said that she had it once when she saw it in the bakery, claimed that it was too dry and not nice. Me, on the other hand had been seeing my FB Baking Kakis baking them. So nice looking little chiffon cakes, I really must put my hands down to it.

I took the recipe from one of my friend, another passionate baker cum SAHM. Glad that I tried it cos both my aunt who didnt like Hokkaido cake, had 3 of it straight and Hubby had 2 at 1 go. But my cousins, didnt really like custard, not a lover of cream actually. I, myself also like it, but felt tt with a bit more custard would be better. =) So, here it is.

Hokkaido Chiffon (Source from Dequeen Kitchen)

You will need:
(A)
4 egg yolks
50ml oil(i used canola)
60ml milk
70g cake flour
3 Oreo Biscuits, removed fillings and crushed

(B)
4 egg whites
60g sugar

The Preparation:

Sift flour.
Whisk the yolks lightly and add in the wet ingredients in (A) followed by flour till well mixed.
Beat egg whites till foamy with electric whisk and add in sugar gradually,beat till soft peaks formed.
Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture into yolk mixture. Then slowly fold in the rest until well mixed,do not deflate the egg white mixture.
Fold in the crushed Oreo at this point gently.
Pour into square cake cases.

The Baking:
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven cool on wire rack.
When cake is completely cooled,pipe in custard cream and dust with icing sugar.

For the Custard Cream:
120ml whipped cream

2 teaspoon custard powder
20g icing sugar

Put all ingredients in a bowl.

Whisk till stiff peaks.
Ready to use.



Hokkien Mee using the 'Dry version Mee'

The other day I went to NTUC and saw that Prima came up with this dry version of Hokkien Mee. So I decided to buy a packet to try out how the taste is like. Cos I dont like those Hokkien Mee that comes in packet at the fridge area of NTUC as I feel it is not as fresh as compared to market and it will turns soggy very fast after you start to braised it in the stock.

Anyway, the texture of the noodles is ok but the saltish taste in the noodles itself is too overwhelming. It spoil my pot of hokkien mee cos it makes it slightly too salty. So next round, I will get the fresh ones from market so as not to spoil my Hokkien Mee standard. Will still share my recipe for the above, but please don't buy this Prima brand to cook, stick to NTUC types or market.

Hokkien Mee

Prawns (about 7-8 big grey prawns, shelled)

Fishcake (1 plate of 3 round pcs from NTUC)

Xiao Bai Cai (2 packets)

Minced Meat 50g

Noodles (about 4 adult portion)

Seasoning: 2Tbsp Fish Gravy, 1Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce, 200ml water, Dash of pepper

**May add 2Tbsp Oyster Sauce if you are using the market type cos the Prima too saltish for me to add) 

1) Fry gralic til fragrant in Olive Oil

2) Add in prawns, then fish cake, minced meat and veg last

3) When ingredients are 80% cook, add in 1/2 of the water, above seasoning and bring to boil

4) Taste and add remaining water bit by bit til taste is right

5) Add in hokkien mee and simmer til gravy is almost thicken. You may add more water if it dries up very fast

Another new recipe for direct bread method

Made another new variation of whole-grain bread, original recipe adapt from Carol's blog - Small Cheese bread. I made some variation as I need to make whole-grain for hubby as a healthier alternative for his diet. So I will always make amendments to all bread or cakes recipes to make it not so 'sinful' for him to eat.

Today I make them into small round buns and spur of moment as I saw another blogger using cookie  cutter to cut bread, I decided to cut into elephants and mickey shapes for my 2 lil ones. Effort not wasted as they simply loves it. Its an idea for me to keep in view for children partys. Great!!

Used some chocolate chips to deco the bread, edible sugar sprinkles as well. So here is my version of the bread.

Whole-grain Cheese Bread (**i omit the egg)

80g Whole-grain Flour

60g Plain Flour

60g Bread Flour

1tsp yeast

30g Sugar

100ml milk

30g Canola Olive Margarine

1) Mix all dry ingredients, add 1/2 of the milk

2) Continue to add milk til dough is form

3) Add Butter and knead til pass window test

4) Proof 1hr or til doubled in size

5) Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes (**i used the balanced for the round buns)

6) Brush with milk. Bake at 190deg for 20-25mins