All posts by chinesetuition88

baking, Cake

Orange Loaf Cake

2 Comments

It’s a super easy cake to make and full of orange flavor.

Ingredients:

orange 1

eggs 3

sugar 100g

vegetable oil 70 ml

vanilla 1/2 tsp

flour 250g

baking soda 1/4 tsp

baking powder 1 tsp

 

Preheat oven to 170 Degree C.

  1. Cut orange into small chunks and remove the seed.
  2. Put orange into a blend and blend till into paste.
  3. Beat 3 eggs in a bowl. Add in sugar and vegetable oil. Mix well.
  4. Add egg mixture into blender and mix with orange paste well.
  5. Pour the orange egg mixture into a big bowl. Add in vanilla. Mix well.
  6. Sieve in flour, baking powder and baking soda. Combine them.
  7. Brush loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
  8. Pour batter into loaf pan.
  9. Into the oven and bake for 40 mins.

Cool down and cut into slices. The orange cake smells incredible.

Beef

Beef Bourguignon

Leave a comment

I finally tried this recipe. I still remember there is a scene in the movie Julie & Julia. Julie went to buy beef for this dish. She said ” Beef Bourguignon. Julia Child’s beef bourguignon.”

  1. Cut beef into chunks and set aside.
  2. Cut 3 strips bacon. Boil them and drain. Saute in the pan with 1 tbsp oil till a bit brownish. Set bacon aside.
  3. Same pan. Use the bacon fat to saute beef. Wipe beef with kitchen towel and make sure they are very dry before putting into the pan. Saute each side nicely golden brown. Then set beef aside.

  1. Prepare 1 white onion, and 2 carrots. Saute in the same pan till brownish on the edge.
  2. Preheat oven to 220 Degree C. If you have casserole, place beef in it. Season fried beef with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp flour. Give it a good mix.
  3. Beef into the oven for 5 mins. Then toss a bit and into the oven for another 5 mins.
  4. Heat the pan used to fry beef. Pour in 2 cups red wine. Stir a bit and bring to boil.
  5. Transfer everything into the casserole, including beef, bacon, sauteed vegetables, and 2 cups beef stock. Also add in 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 bayleaves, 1 tbs thyme, 2 clove garlic paste.
  6. If you have a casserole, just put everything in it. And into the 160 Degree C oven for 2.5-3 hrs. But I don’t have one. I use my pressure cooker and slow cook in low temperate.
  7. Prepare sauteed mushroom. Cut mushroom into quarters. Heat a pan. Cut in 2 tbsp butter. When butter in hot, add mushroom in. Toss and stir fry for 3 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Also sprinkle a little thyme. Juice will come out. Simmer in low heat for 5 mins. Julia Child used pearl white onion too, which I could’t find in the supermarket. So I neglected that step.
  8. When beef is done, sieve it to separate the sauce and rest ingredients. Simmer sauce in sauce pan to thicken it.
  9. Serve the beef with hot mashed potato. Don’t forget to add in sauteed mushroom and drizzle the sauce.

Yum!

Chicken

Chicken Masala (Butter Chicken)

It’s a famous dish in Indian cuisine. For the chicken, I used a half chicken. I removed the skin and bones before cutting it. Of course you can choose chicken thighs or chicken breast.

  1. Place chicken pieces in a bowl. Add in 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp garlic paste and 1 tsp chopped ginger. If you want it to be a little spicy, you can also add in spicy chili powder. Marinate for 15 mins.
  2. Saute marinate chicken in pan. Heat a pan. add in 1 tbsp oil. Put the chicken pieces in. Saute till chicken turn golden brown. Take the chicken out.
  3. Same pan. Add in 2 tsp extra oil. Add in 1/2 cup chopped onion. stir fry a bit.
  4. Cut in 1 tbsp butter. Sautee onion till aromatic.
  5. Add in 2 cups chopped tomato. Stir fry evenly with onion.
  6. Pour in 1 cup water. Season with salt, garam masala, paprika powder and sugar.
  7. Simmer with low heat for 15 mins.
  8. Transfer everything in pan into the blender. Blend till it becomes smooth paste.
  9. Pour the paste back into the pan. If the gravy is not thickened enough, turn to low heat and reduce it.
  10. Add the chicken in. Cut in 1 tbsp butter and add in 1 tbsp cream. Stir well. Simmer for another 10 mins.
  11. drizzle cream before serving.

https://flic.kr/p/2hvRi7K

It can be served with rice or prata or naan. Very nice. My husband finished the whole big plate of this chicken masala.

baking, Cookie

Thumbprint Cookies

 

Ingredients:

butter 130g

sugar 50g

egg 1 (separate egg yolk and egg white)

vanilla 1/2 tsp

flour 130g

salt 1 pinch

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup jam

 

Preheat oven to 180 Degree C

  1. Cream butter with sugar till light and fluffy.
  2. Add in vanilla and egg yolk. Mix well.
  3. Add in flour and salt. Blend till just combined.
  4. Make balls with 1/2 tbsp batter. Place them in fridge for about 15 mins to let them get firm.
  5. Whisk egg white till light.
  6. Roll balls in egg white, then chopped nuts.
  7. Press with thumb to the center depth of each ball.
  8. Fill the center with jam. I used strawberry jam.
  9. Into the oven for 12-15 mins.

Chicken, Soup

Coconut Chicken Soup

I wanted to try this soup for a long time. Now since that I have pressure cooker, I cannot wait any longer.

Prepare a coconut and half chicken.

  1. Wash chicken clean. In a pot, add in enough water. Put chicken in. Bring to boil.
  2. Rinse chicken under water to wash off all the dirt.
  3. Cut coconut open. Pour the coconut water out and scoop the fruit meat.
  4. Place chicken into pressure cooker. Add in coconut water and fruit, also add in 3 red dates and several ginger slices.
  5. Press the soup button.
  6. Soup is very fresh and sweet. I added in some goji berries and cook for another 20 mins.

No need to season at all.

Actually I think it tastes better without goji berries.

My husband likes this soup very much.

Beef

Beef Rendang (Spicy Dry Beef Curry)

2 Comments

My husband bought a pressure cooker as an early birthday gift for me. I couldn’t wait to try it and cook something.

The first dish came to my mind is beef rendang. It is like a type of dry curry and very popular in Southeastern Asia. My husband was very excited and couldn’t wait to try my beef rendang. Actually I have never tried this dish before. So I did a little research online and figured out the recipe and ingredients I need for the dish. This morning, I grab a bite and went to supermarket. I already listed out the ingredients I need. I searched for them according to the list.

These are almost all the ingredients, salt, oil and sugar are not shown in the picture.

  1. Put shallot, red chili, ginger, blue ginger (galangal), and garlic into a blender. Blend them into paste. This is the most complicated part during cooking. After paste is ready, the rest will be much easier.
  2. Heat a pan. Add in 1 tbsp oil. Drop all the paste in. Also add in 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp clove powder and 1 tsp salt. Stir fry till the paste turns brownish.
  3. Add in all the beef pieces. I cut it into one-bite size. stir fry till beef turns golden brown.
  4. Pour in 1 cup coconut milk, and 1 cup water. Stir a bit.
  5. Add in star anise, cinnamon  stick, cardamom pods, lemon grass, a little tamarind paste and 1 tbsp sugar. Stir well.
  6. Transfer everything into pressure cooker. I pressed the meat button and it just cooked 15 mins. Beef turns very soft.
  7. Because I added water in, so after pressure cooker, I used normal pot to reduce the sauce on low heat. Stir occasionally.
  8. Add in some lime leaves to add more flavor. And reduce the sauce to very dry.

My husband said it tastes like the one served in restaurant. 🙂

And he finished the whole plate of it. 🙂

Perfect to go with rice.

baking, Cake, chocolate

Walnut Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Leave a comment

Preheat oven to 180 Degree C.

Walnut 1 cup (toasted and finely chopped)

eggs 3

sugar 1/2 cup

flour 1/2 cup

baking powder 1/4 tsp

 

  1. Beat egg with sugar with  electric mixer for 6-8 mins. It will become like mayonnaise.
  2. Sieve in flour & baking powder. combine them.
  3. Fold in 1/4 walnut.
  4. Divide batter into 2 baking pans. And into the oven for 25 mins.
  5. Place cakes on rack to let them cool down.

 

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter (softened), 1 cup icing sugar, 1/2 tbsp milk.

Beat the butter with electric mixer till very light and fluffy. Add in icing sugar 1/3 each a time. Blend well. Add in milk at last. Mix everything well.

Make frosting into 2 part. Add 1/4 walnut into one of them.

Syrup: 1/2 cup warm water, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 1/2 maple syrup. Mix well.

 

Place one cake upside down. Brush it with syrup. Spread the frosting (with walnut) onto it. Then put the other cake upside down over it. Brush it with syrup too. Spread the other frosting over the top and side of the cake. Sprinkle the rest chopped walnut over the side of the cake.

Chocolate glaze:

3 Tbsp milk, 30g chocolate. Heat in microwave till chocolate melts. Cool down to room temperature.

Pour the chocolate over the top.

Garnish with walnut at last.

The cake is super. It is a bit complicated as I did the frosting and glazing this time, which I never did before. That’s why I think this cake is a bit complicated. And you have a lot of washing to do after that. 🙂

Both my husband and I love the cake. 🙂

Chicken, Pasta

Sautéed Chicken Drumsticks

Leave a comment

My father-in-law gave me Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was super excited. I like Julia Child very much after I watched the movie Julie & Julia, and at that time, I didn’t even cook. She is a very nice cook with great sense of humor. And she’s bold in kitchen.

Most time, I cook Chinese food. There is a very big difference between Chinese and French cooking. Vegetable oil like canola oil, peanut oil or soy bean oil is often used in Chinese cooking, while butter in French cooking.

Today, I tried this Sautéed Chicken. Actually I used chicken drumsticks, cos they are in similar size, so I thought it would be easier to cook.

  1. Heat a pan. Add in 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. I used about 6 chicken drumsticks. I turned to low medium heat while cooking. The heat power of My induction stove is kind of strong.
  2. Wipe chicken drumsticks with kitchen towel and dry them.
  3. Put chicken into the pan, sear for 2-3 mins till brownish. Then flip them to fry other the other side for 2-3 mins.
  4. Lid on and fry for 5 mins.
  5. Turn them around and lid on for another 5 mins.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, and also dried herbs.
  7. Lid on for 5 mins.
  8. Toss a bit and lid on for another 5 mins.
  9. Take all the drumsticks out in a plate. Pour the oil out just leave a bit in the pan.
  10. Heat the pan again. Add in 1 tsp chopped garlic. (I didn’t have shallot).
  11. When it turns aromatic, pour in 1/2 cup stock. Reduce to half remaining. (Original recipe also needs wine, but I didn’t follow that part.)
  12. Glaze chicken with reduced sauce.

They also go well with pasta.

baking, chocolate, Cookie

Double Chocolate Cookies

2 Comments

Ingredients:

butter 110g

chocolate 120g

vanilla 1 tsp

eggs 2

sugar 220g

flour 125g

cocoa powder 60g

baking soda 1/2 tsp

salt 1 pinch

Chocolate chunks 200g

 

Preheat oven to 165 Degree C

  1. Melt chocolate and better over low heat till completely melted and mixed together.
  2. Remove melted butter from heat and cool down.
  3. Add in vanilla.
  4. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl till light and fluffy.
  5. Add egg & sugar mixture into melted chocolate.
  6. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt) in another bowl.
  7. Add dry ingredients into melted chocolate and make it into batter.
  8. Fold in chocolate chunks.
  9. Drop 1 tbsp batter onto the baking tray.
  10. Into the oven for about 13 mins.

 

 

Crunchy outside but chewy inside.

Pork, Soup

Pig’s Feet & Lotus Root Soup

Leave a comment

1，Put pig’s feet pieces into a deep pot. Add in enough water.

2, Bring the water to boil for about 5 mins.

3, Take all the pig’s feet pieces out and wash clean in water.

4, Put everything into pot: pig’s feet, lotus root (peeled and cut into chunks), red dates (makes soup taste sweet), ginger slices, soy beans (soaked in water for 1 hr), and carrot pieces.

5, Slow cook for 2 hrs.

Very nice soup.