Fried chicken

...without using oil.

Save the hassle of deep frying and cleaning.

I love this recipe A LOT as I don't have to do deep frying *oily*

Oven baked chicken

Ingredients:

800g chicken thighs (or chicken wings)
1 cup plain flour
1.5 tbs 5-spice powder
salt to taste
some cornstarch (1-2 tsp)
some baking powder (1-2 tsp)


Method

1. Preheat oven to 190-200C.
2. Clean and rub a bit of salt on the chicken.
3. Mix all the dried ingredients in a bowl.
4. Dredge the chicken thighs till well coated. Shake off excess flour.
5. Get ready a roasting rack with aluminium foil on top. Lined the floured chicken thighs on the roasting rack.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes then flip the thighs over and bake for another 20-30 minutes.
7. The result is great and taste like fried chicken.

Kahlua creme brulee

We tried this at Mongolian restaurant and my hubby loves it a lot. He asked me to search for its recipe and try to do it for him. I found many recipes online but I always choose the one with many positive reviews.

Kahlua is Mexican coffee-flavoured liqueur. I try to mix it on my own rather than buying one bottle. It turns out good though alcohol-free.


Kahlua creme brulee
(serves 6)

2 cups heavy cream - it can be substituted with double cream
1/3 cup white sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbs kahlua - I mix it on my own; coffee + hot cocoa + warm water
6 tsp superfine sugar - a.k.a caster sugar


Method

1. Preheat oven to 150C. Place 6 ramekins on a dish towel set in a roasting pan at least 3" deep (the towel keeps them from moving around).
2. Stir together cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until very hot, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and kahlua until combined. While still whisking, slowly add 1/3 of the cream mixture 2 tbs at a time (slowly so you temper the eggs). Once you incorporated 1/3 of the cream, you can stir in the remaining hot cream without it curdling.
4. Pour custard through a sieve and pour evenly into the ramekins. Then fill the roasting pan with boiling hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake in a preheated oven until set 35 - 45 minutes (I use 40 minutes). Custard should be set around edges but slightly jiggly like Jello in the centre.
6. Allow custards to cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about an  hour, before covering and refrigerating until cold, another 4 hours.
7. When they are ready to be served, unwrap custards and sprinkle 1 tsp caster sugar on each to coat top. Melt sugar either using a hand torch or directly under a broiler until sugar has melted. The cold custard underneath will harden the sugar into a crispy crust.

Pan-fried Buns with Minced Beef

They are also known as "sui jiao" in Chinese. It is my first trial and I am so happy that it turns out yummy. My hubby said even tastes better than the one sold in Chinatown. Haha. The moment I have my first bite, the hot liquid oozes out and I know that I have succeeded. Thumbs up to this recipe and to me too ^^!

The original recipe can produces 10 "sui jiao" but I think I can made more as I still have the leftover filling in my fridge (update: I made 17).

 My sui jiao

(Can you notice which one is half-eaten by me?)

Sorry for the blurry image as I don't have enough natural lighting here

=Ingredients= makes 10

~Buns~
180g plain flour
6 tbs hot water 80°C
3 tbs cold water

~Filling~
200g minced beef
40g preserved cabbage - I subs it with lettuce
45g minced onion
1 tsp freshly grated ginger

~Seasoning~
1 tbs light soya sauce
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chicken powder
1/2 tsp Shao Xing wine
a dash sesame oil
pepper, to taste


Mixing filling

1. Mix minced beef with the seasoning and stir with chopsticks towards one direction only (either you stir it clockwise or anticlockwise), or until the beef sticks together very well with a "springy" feel - I use my clean hand to mix it. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes.

Making and frying buns

1. Sift flour into a big bowl. Add 6 tbs of 80°C hot water into the flour. Use a spatula to mix well and create some little flour crumbs.
2. Add 1 tbs of cold water at a time into the flour. Use hand to knead the dough until the surface is not sticky. Brush a bit of oil on the bottom of a bowl, place dough inside and cover it with a damp towel. Let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until smooth. Roll and stretch the dough out into a long strip, about 1.5 inches in thickness - I just 'agak-agak'. Divide into 10 equal parts. Roll each part into a small ball. Lightly flatten with your palm and roll out into a thin, even round using a rolling pin. Wrap a heaped tsp of filling in the center. Seal the edge with the seal facing down.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbs of oil. Place wrapped buns in  a single layer without touching each other. Fry them until both sides are light brown. Add 1/2 cup of boiling water, cover with a lid and cook until the water dries up. Done!
5. As for the dipping sauce, add light soya sauce, few drops of vinegar and chilli sauce together. My bestie once told me that her mummy said the dipping sauce plays a crucial part in determining whether the food is delicious or not. I do agree sometimes.

Mini Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

I am impressed with Tham Jiak's recipe that does not need any butter and flour. The end product is sweet and I like it. But I will reduce the icing sugar next time.

Lava cakes

=Ingredients= makes 5 mini cakes

6 tbs cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups icing sugar - I better reduce it to 1 cup next time
pinch of salt

1/2 tbs vanilla extract
2 large egg whites

1 cup walnuts
-toasted at 200C for 5 mins then coarsely chopped


Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (Mine 175C).
2. Sift together cocoa powder, icing sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Combine the liquids (vanilla and egg whites) in another bowl.
4. Slowly add the liquid into the dry mixture, beat it at low speed with an electric mixer. Then beat the batter at medium speed till glossy.
5. Stir in walnuts.
6. Line muffin pan with baking paper/ cups.
7. Spoon about 2 heaped tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup.
8. Bake in oven for 20 minutes till it looks like molten lava.

Mini cream cheese tarts

I still remember how I first searched for cream cheese in Glasgow. I browsed through every supermarket shelves and asked myself why there is no cream cheese sold in Glasgow. They suppose to sell all types of cheese here but where is the cream cheese that I want! Thus, I asked Mr Google's for help and found out that cream cheese is known as "soft cheese" in UK. Haha.

When I saw the 'Buy One Get One Free' promotion of 300g Philadelphia Soft Cheese at £1.75, I quickly grabbed two. Buy first then find the recipes online to try it.

When I saw the recipe posted by Tham Jiak, I dashed into the kitchen and my fingers started to get busy.


Mini Cream Cheese Tarts 

Ingredients: = makes 6 muffin sized tarts =

225g cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar -I use 1/3 of 1/2 cup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
6 oat crackers/ biscuits - crushed (I use my "sua da pia")


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. (mine is fan assisted oven so 175C)
2. Press crushed biscuits into the muffin holes. Use the back of a glass to compact it.
3. Cream together cheese and sugar (using electric mixer).
4. Add egg and vanilla essence into the cheese mixture. Mix them until everything is incorporated.
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin/ tray.
6. Bake for 20 minutes (until they are set).
7. Cool down and refrigerated for better taste. 

This recipe fulfills my cheese cravings ^^

Cashew nuts

First time roast cashew nuts, so here we go.

Bake in preheated oven at 175°C for 12-15 minutes. Must consistently watch on them as they burn easily. Toss them after few minutes.

Take them out and sprinkle some salt on them and stir
(Another tips is spray/ use few drops of oil or melted butter first then add salt to ensure the salt sticks to the nuts)

Enjoy munching the nuts ^^

My lovely nuts

Self-note: 160C fan oven 12mins