BACON GARLIC BREAD

Bread is making a come back since the countries imposed lock down because of the global pandemic, here in Singapore, we call it Circuit Breaker, well, baking for that matter.  Suddenly, the whole wide world is into baking... literally, people from all walks of life, regardless of age become instant bakers and they honed this skill in just few weeks, which the professionals learned it in months (no offense). Can you believe it? It can be done right? Flours, yeasts, butters, oils, all of the baking ingredients disappeared from the grocery shelves. Families and friends from miles away would hunt and even trade for yeast! Whew! 
This is historical {madness, ehem, excuse me 😄} milestone, indeed!

Anyway, that does not exclude me from this global madness of baking 😉.
So here's my take--

Bacon Garlic Bread

for the bread i used this basic bread dough recipe. 

Garlic Butter Mix

100g butter, softened

3 cloves garlic, minced & pressed

Salt & Pepper

Dried parsley 

Mix together and spread over bun.

Beaten egg with water for egg wash

Slices of Bacon

Sesame seeds (Black and white)

Mayo Surprise

1/3 cup Mayonnaise around  4 tbsp

2 Tbsp Condensed Milk

1 Tbsp Light Corn syrup

1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

Mix until well combined.

Place in a piping bag or your diy ziplock.

Set aside. Ready to use.

Assembly:

Make oblong bun and rest for another hour.

When done, brush the buns with eggwash.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Snip in the middle and spread  garlic butter mix. 

Add chopped bacons and sprinkle more dried parsley.

Bake at 175 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

When done you can serve it hot naked or ...

Pipe with mayo surprise and this bun is twisted into something sweet savoury delish!

APPLE TATIN BROWNIE PUFF

Brownie is one of the classic sweets everyone loved. It's a pack of whole deliciousness of chocolates, cakey texture, nuts and more chocolates. I experimented on adding apple tatin, a tangy apples in caramel then wrapped it in a puff pastry and it worked out delicious. 

It kinda requires more baking though but if you are in for baking, you are in for labour! 😉

APPLE TATIN FUDGE BROWNIE PUFF

Using 7x10 rectangular brownie

Use spoon/ spatula to mix not whisk the brownie

for the Apple Tatin

Pre-heat oven at 175°

3 granny smith apples, sliced

50 g butter 

50 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Melt sugar in a pan til amber then remove from heat stir in 

butter and return to heat for a quick stir.

When done, remove from heat and pour into the brownie pan.

Lay over the apple slices on the caramel.

Bake at 180° for 30 minutes.

When done set aside.

Ingredients for the brownie:

  ½ c unsalted butter, melted ( around 113g)

   1 tbsp oil

   ½  c caster sugar

   2 large eggs

   2 tsp vanilla

   ½ c all-purpose flour

   ½ c cocoa powder

   ¼  tsp salt

   1 c walnuts chopped

additional ingredients:

Apple Tatin

1 or 2 sheets of puff pastry

   

for the brownie:

Melt butter in a microwave.

Add oil and cocoa powder, sugar and stir to combine.

Add egg one at a time and vanilla then stir.

Fold in flour and salt.

Pour over the apple tatin and spread.

Top with chopped walnuts.

Bake at 175° for 20 minutes. Do not over bake.

When done, cool then lay it on one side of pastry puff, fold the pastry to wrap the brownie, add pastry sheet if needed, then brush the pastry puff with beaten egg and bake for another 30 minutes at 180°.

Cool and slice to serve.

FRIED PRAWNS

When travelling, one thing you would make sure you haven't missed out is food. Apart from visiting the gorgeous landmarks and capturing the instagramable views, tasting the food and experiencing the culture of the people is a must do!

We venture to Thailand for historical sites and wandering about its magnificent temples which dated back as early as 16th Century are amazing.  Outside its sacred walls are sights that snaps you out of your historical vision--those colourful display of fruits and the aroma of food leads you towards a nook of more hidden treasures... "Foods for the Soul" 😊. I will leave you to do your homework on the bests of Thailand food as i share you one of its.

"Kung (Goong) Sarong" , Kung (Goong) means prawn or shrimp and Sarong means to wrap around of something, is a Thai dish made of deep fried prawn wrapped in egg noodles or rice vermicelli.  This is one of those many entrée you can delight yourself while exploring Thailand and it's easy to make too.

Here's how--

FRIED PRAWNS

Ingredients:

A dozen XL Prawns

Salt

Pepper

Marinate for at least 30 minutes

100g rice vermicelli

Oil for frying


Soak rice vermicelli  noodle in tap water until soft.  Then use it to wrap the shrimps.

Then deep fry prawns in oil.

Serve fried prawns with plum sauce.

Plum Sauce:

2 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp Tomato ketchup

1 tsp LKK superior light sauce

Dash of roasted seaame seeds

Heat sauce ingredients above in a pan and ready to use.
Pour in a dipping platter and add sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

BLACK ALMOND COOKIE

I had my fair share of Atkin’s Diet when i was in my Uni life and it felt good carrying a lighter weight 😊 Thanks to my SIL who had us into this diet and dinner is my favourite meal with a cup of vanilla ice cream a big chunk of grilled meat or a large link of frankurters😋. I survived the 6 months and the months after are just maintenance but staying on this diet is a challenge. But really it felt good 😊

I did not make this recipe for Keto purpose, but just to make use of my extra almond flour and my new discovery of super dark cocoa powder and later, I found out that this recipe is geared to a Keto snack, what a coincidence! 😉

Sharing this recipe to all Keto lovers.

BLACK ALMOND COOKIES

Makes about 44 pcs half a tablespoon size cookies.

This is soft, chewy cookie.

   

Ingredients:

1 ½ c almond flour

½ c black cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

½  tsp salt

½ bar unsalted butter (100g) (substitute 1/3 c vegetable, canola or coconut oil)

¾ c brown sugar (substitute: sugar-free sweetener)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 c semi-sweet/ dark chocolate chips (substitute: sugar-free chocolate chips)

Slivered Almonds

Method:

1.     Cream sugar ang butter in a stand   mixer or use a whisk and manually mix.

2.     Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

3.     Add eggs and vanilla.

4.     Fold in chocolate chips. (At this point, you can chill cookie batter for

        easy division)

5.     Scoop about 1/2  tbsp each and place it on the baking tray lined with

        parchment. 

 

6.     Flatten the top, add slivered almonds.

7.     Bake 15 minutes at 175° C.

8.     Remove from oven and cool before serving. (It hardens as it cools)

Enjoy!

FISH ALOHA

Fried fish is the most accepted dish of global variety. From where i grew up, it's an everyday dish that filled our tummy and we enjoyed it without complain.

Nowadays, not only the fish breed varies but the preparations have improved and every dish is phenomenal.

Today's version is a simple dish of sweet and sour to appease cravings of the not so little anymore, our kids, whose palates are the source of our daily menu.

So here it is --

FISH ALOHA

Hawaiian Sweet & Sour Fish

1 pack tilapia fillet (about 500g)

3 tbsp potato starch or tapioca starch

2 tbsp plain flour

Slice the fillet and dust with mixed flour.

Fry twice to attain crispyness

for the Sauce:

2 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Mix the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Set aside.

for Sautéing:

In a pan sauté the following:

Garlic minced

Onions chopped

Bell pepper cubed

Tomato slices

Pineapples chunked

Then pour cooked sauce and

then finally the fried fish. Stir to combine.

Toss spring onion and ready to serve.

Serve over a bowl of steaming rice.

PATA TIM

A chinese braised pork inspired dish and one of the favourite classic filipino dishes called -- Pata Tim (Patatim). A recipe of slowly cooked pork hock braised in soya sauce, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and accompanied with green vegetable (pechay or bok choy) and some banana blossoms. Sweetening it with brown sugar is an option.  This is best serve with steam rice.

You may want to consider preparing this while multi tasking as this require slow cooking time. 😉

PATA TIM

what you need--

1 pc pata front

2 tbsp EVOO for sauteeing

1 head garlic minced

1 medium onions chopped

4 c water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c LKK superior light soy sauce

Peppercorns

Star anise

Bay leaves

Handful of banana blossom

1 pack bok choy (blanched)

1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Sesame oil to drizzle

Sautee garlic and onion, add pata to brown.

Then add water, soy sauce, salt, peppercorns, star anise and bay leaves.  Boil until pata is soft. Just add water if needed. When meat is soft, add banana blossom and continue to boil for about 10 mins. 

When done, transfer meat and banana blossom to a serving plate leaving the sauce in a pan.

Simmer the sauce and add cornstarch mix to thicken. When done pour sauce over meat.

Add blanched bok choy on the side.

Serve with steaming rice.

SAND DOLLAR COOKIES

Kids are missing the sand, sea shells and salt water. Their dose of Vitamin SEA was long overdue but their imaginations always run wild as they see their sea shells collection and sands on our table. It brings back the memories of sun bathing, tag games, water splashing, swimming, shell collections, food, drinks and chilling by the beach.

And the best to go pica bites are chocolates, chips and cookies.
So, my youngest said, let's make cookies and pretend we are off to the beach! 😁 A perfect cookie for the destination is a sand dollar, hope you'll enjoy making this as we did!

SAND DOLLAR COOKIES

Yields: 

28 pcs of cookies😍

2 1/2 cm raw cookie becomes  3 1/4cm cooked cookie

Ingredients

200 g unsalted butter

1 1/4 c sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 c almond flour

1/3 c caster sugar mix with 1 tbsp cinnamon

Slivered almonds

Cream butter and sugar.

Add egg and vanilla.

Add flour.

Scoop about 1 tbsp dough, make it a ball and roll in a cinnamon sugar mix. Place in a baking tray and using the bottom of a cup or in my case i used a rice cooker cup to flatten the dough to make it look like a wheel. Then press 5 slivered almonds forming a star in the middle of the dough.

Bake at 175 degrees for 15 mins.

When done remove and brush with cinnamon sugar mix.  RTE.

CHICKEN AL CARBON

Chicken is a favourite meat accepted globally and grilling is always the  preferred means of cooking poultry dishes. However, in highly urbanized setting residentials are space restrained and cooking methods are often challenged but as they say, "If there's a will, there's a way!" 

This brings me into baking, my best option for open fire grilling.

Pollo Al Carbon (Chicken Al Carbon) is a dish of latin origin cooked in an open fire specifically over charcoal. One time i was talking to my sister and she's having dinner with Pollo al Carbon, hhmmm sounds appetizing and later that day, out of curiosity i found myself marinating a chicken griller! I can't accomplish that in an open fire with charcoal but I will surely achieve the same taste over an enclosed grilling-BAKE! 

It's delicious and i want to share this gem to all chicken lovers. Might not be the exact replica of what my sisters are fond of but I'm happy for baking one. Curiosity solved and cravings satisfied! You can do this--

CHICKEN AL CARBON (Pollo Al Carbon)

Ingredients:

1 chicken griller

1/4 c orange juice

1/4 olive oil

1/4 apple cider vinegar

1 tsp each of marjoram, thyme, oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 heads garlic cloves, minced

Place chicken in the ziplock

Pour all ingredients

Seal and shake ziplock

Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight in a fridge.

Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hrs (might be lesser or more) until that "grilled" texture is achieved.

CLASSIC KALAMANSI CUPPIES

Boracay is one of the worlds bests in resorts and beaches.
Never been there, yet! But I can always imagine the waves, the seashore, the people partying and of course the food. They say never leave the island of white, sugary and powdery beaches without tasting one of its best -- Kalamansi Cupcake! Now this got me into more cravings. I researched for the recipe and it's pretty straight forward. Tried and tweaked the mixture  to prove their claim and guess what? -- it's .... moist, soft, tangy, less sweet and fresh cake in a cup.... hhmmm uber delish! and oohhh those kalamansi zests i added gave an extra treat and texture to the cuppies. 

The challenge now is to compare which one is better, mine or theirs... ;-)

CLASSIC KALAMANSI CUPPIES
makes a dozen regular size cuppies

Ingredients:

125 g (half bar) unsalted butter

1 c white sugar

1/4 c kalamansi juice

1/4 c fresh milk

2 pcs whole eggs

1 1/2 c cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Kalamansi zest

note: You can increase kalamansi juice to 1/3 c if you want it more tangy.

Method:

Using a whisk and a mixing bowl, manually cream butter and sugar.

(You can use stand mixer for convenience :-) ) 

Add eggs one by one and mix.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and kalamansi zest. 

Pour milk and kalamansi juice. Mix to combine. Don’t over mix.

Place in a cupcake liner about full. 

Bake at 175 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve warm with cold fruity beverages.

CRACKLING SHRIMP BALL

Kids are sometimes picky on what they eat. My eldest is not an exception, she’s not a big fan of shrimps especially when she needs to do de-shelling😊. But the  challenge is not about being pickyness of the kids rather finding the means to get through these kids’ palate amidst their choices.

This dish is one solution 😊 and they loved it and finished all up to the last ball!

Crackling Shrimp Balls

About 1.8 kg of fresh shrimps = about 450g of shelled clean shrimps

For About 250g clean shrimps

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp  sesame oil

1 tbsp oil

Dash of pepper

Spring onions

1 pack wonton skin (julienne)
Oil for frying

Place all ingredients in a blender except onions and blend into paste. When done remove from the blender and fold in spring onions.

Form into a small ball about a teaspoon each, then  roll into the wonton skin bed (use a scissor to cut excess skin) and  fry til lightly brown.

Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet & sour sauce or toyomansi

PIANONO

The lightest, simplest and easiest cake i made so far with just few and not so complicated ingredients. An economical cake indeed!

A recipe perfect for small family in just one seating.  Yielding a small cake roll, too small that i was not able to grab a bite😅.  Got so excited writing the recipe that when i return to the table, all was left were sugar crumbs. BUT, thankful cause it means I can bake some more!!!

Pianono

Makes an 11” log, 11 slices @ 1”

3 tbsp cake flour

3 tbsp caster sugar

3 eggs separated

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking powder mix with flour

1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling/ dusting: 

Margarine

White Sugar or can be caster sugar too 

Make Meringue: 

Place egg whites  and cream of tartar in a bowl beat to soft peak ,  slowly add sugar and beat to stiff peak.

Stop the mixer and add beaten eggyolk and vanilla. Turn on the mixer to low speed and mix then slowly add flour mixture (flour + baking powder), continue mixing to combine.

Pour into the baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Pre-heat oven at 175degrees.

Bake cake for 15 mins.

Remove from oven, invert directly on a cooling rack.

Slowly peel the parchment and sprinkle the cake with sugar then cover with parchment and invert the rack. 

From the long edge, slowly roll the cake and let it cool for 5 mins. 

Unroll and spread butter and sprinkle with sugar. Then roll it back.  

Brush Pianono with margarine and sprinkle with sugar. slice and serve.