Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen Noodle Salad)

Hiyashi Chuka is a Japanese cold noodle salad usually served in summer. Cold ramen noodles come with a colourful assortment of toppings, drizzled with a slightly tangy sesame-soy-vinegar dressing. I first tried this dish two years ago at a Japanese restaurant when it was on the special summer menu. It was a scorchingly hot day and the refreshing taste from the cold noodles provided some cool respite from the summer heat.

Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Cookies

I was planning to make Peaches and Cream cookies using Momofuku's Blueberry and Cream Cookies recipe, but then, I came across this one for Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Cookies by Sunny Anderson. Seeing all the rave reviews, I decided to make these instead.

Gamja Jorim (Potato Side Dish)

I have to admit that the first time I ever ordered food at a Korean restaurant, I did not expect all these little "banchan" side dishes to arrive at the table. In my mind, I was thinking "Wow, what a good deal! Just order one dish from the menu and you get all these little extras!". But I really enjoy savouring these tasty little accompaniments, especially when hungry tummies just can't wait for the main meal to arrive. They usually vary from one restaurant to another, and sometimes from day to day as well, even at the same restaurant, and so, there's always something to look forward to.

Berry Moist Chocolate Hazelnut Friands

Ham, Jam and Slaw Sandwich

I must say this one is probably not for the guys. It's sort of a sweetish sandwich with butter and strawberry jam, topped with a few slices of ham, a handful of cabbage salad and baja sauce (sour cream and a little lemon juice) that were left over from the Fish Taco dinner we had last weekend, drizzled with Korean mayonnaise for extra creaminess, and finished off with a dash of salt and pepper. And that's a yummy creamy sandwich!

Cabbage salad with sliced red onions and coriander leaves

Chamchi Jeon (Tuna Pancakes)

Another one of the Korean mums suggested that I make these tuna pancakes for Z's lunchbox. It's quick and easy to prepare especially when mornings at home with the kids can get quite busy sometimes. They are a little like crab cakes, using tuna instead. The addition of the baking powder gives these mini pancakes their crisp edges. Here's the recipe:

Chamchi Jeon (Tuna Pancakes)

Makes 6

Ingredients

1 small 95g can tuna, drained well and lightly mashed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp panko crumbs

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

Mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and ketchup to serve

Method

Combine tuna, egg, spring onions, panko, baking powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine. Heat up oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the pan, using the spoon to shape the cakes into rounds. Fry them for 2-3 minutes each side until brown and crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot or cold with a drizzle of mayonnaise, barbecue sauce or ketchup. Ideal for picnics and school lunchboxes!

Samgak Kimbap

My Korean friend showed me the triangular-shaped seaweed-wrapped kimbap (Korean sushi) that she made for her little boy's lunch the other day. She explained to me how she made the filling using canned tuna, and I was quite impressed to see a home-made kimbap. I usually just buy them from the food court when Z has a craving for sushi, but those are the Japanese version called Onigiri. The fillings are slightly different, being that the Korean ones usually contain tuna or kimchi.

I was thinking, gee, her little boy sure is lucky to have such a delightful looking lunch, and made me want some too! So during my trip to the Korean supermarket the other day, I grabbed a packet of seaweed specially for making samgak gimbap, which came with the triangular rice mould as well. I also bought some quality Nishiki rice for sushi, as I found that generic short-grained sushi rice had a grainy texture that didn't hold together so well, and didn't taste as good either.

Making this is really easy, especially when you have the mould, all you need to do is fill it up with the rice and tuna, then press it down to form a triangle. But you can just shape it using clingwrap if you don't have the mould, and wrap it with a regular sheet of seaweed that has been cut in half. Please find the recipe after the jump.

Samgak Kimbap with Tuna

Ingredients

4 cups cooked sushi (short-grain) rice, mixed with 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar and 3/4 tsp of salt
Seaweed for Samgak Kimbap

Filling:
1 small can tuna, drained well
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped onion (optional)
1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce (or to taste)
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

Heat up the vegetable oil and fry the garlic and onion (if used). Then add tuna, soy, sugar and pepper, and sautee on medium heat until dry and flaky. Add sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss to mix. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Assembling the kimbap: Lay out the seaweed per instructions on packet. Place the mould on the seaweed and fill it with 3 tbsp rice. Spoon some tuna in the centre and top up with more rice. Press it down firmly with the mould lid, and slowly remove the mould. Wrap the rice in the seaweed to form a triangle and secure with stickers provided.

There are videos on youtube that show you how to do it. Click here to view.

These are great for picnics and lunchboxes. The seaweed is kept fresh and crispy until the plastic wrapping is removed when ready to eat. Z loved it so much that he had it for lunch, dinner and again for his school lunchbox today!

Lunchbox Ninja Rice Balls

I was so intrigued by the home-cooked food that some of the Korean moms shared with me during a picnic lunch yesterday. There were salads, sandwiches, fried dumplings, Gimbap (Korean sushi), some pork belly squares (they were square shaped slices of pork, could be a terrine?), spicy fried chicken etc. The flavours were mostly sweet and spicy, and I really should get some of that Korean chilli paste this weekend, which I think is called Gochujang. They make a great salad dressing!

Anyway, one of the moms showed me the Samgak Gimbap (Korean version of Japanese Onigiri - you know, the triangular shaped sushi?) that she made for her 4-year old. That got me thinking that I should pack a not-so-boring lunch for Z than plain ham sandwiches, and so last night, I told myself that I would get up early to make sushi for his lunchbox this morning. However, I woke up an hour later than I had planned to. Initially, I wanted to ditch the sushi plan and just revert to the usual stuff instead. But at the last minute, I figured I'd still have enough time if I set the rice-cooker to "Quick-cook" function, which took only half an hour to cook the rice. I microwaved some luncheon meat and mashed it up with a fork, and mixed it through the rice (to which I had folded in some vinegar-salt-sugar solution). Then, it was all just a matter of cutting, ripping and pasting the nori sheets onto the rice balls that I had shaped using cling wrap. I made the triangular shaped ones using cling wrap as well, and then used a strip of nori to wrap it around the rice.

Well, I must say it didn't take long to prepare, and Z was happy with his new lunch menu. Next time, however, I will probably try using something more nutricious than luncheon meat! Tuna, chicken, beef, corn, and how about some fried shallots thrown in...he would like that :)

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns

Soft, warm, buttery and sugary buns

I have discovered the joy of baking bread, not to mention that it's easier to make compared to baking a cake. From kneading the dough to a smooth elastic finish, watching it grow into a beautiful soft mound of puffiness, to the final stage when the tops turn golden brown in the oven, it can be quite a therapeutic and gratifying experience.

I came across the recipe for these buns on the website for King Arthur Flour and immediately knew that I had to make them one day. I had some potato flour in the pantry which I had been meaning to use in baking bread. Apparently, adding potato starch to the dough helps to retain the moisture in the bread when it is baked. And indeed, these buns were soft and moist, with buttery and crunchy sugar-crusted tops. I sliced them in half and placed some butter in between, and Z polished off two whole buns. We all love our butter!

Please find the recipe below:

Brushed the tops with melted butter and sprinkled with granulated sugar.
The "bread ring" is brushed with honey and topped with sesame seeds and chopped almonds,
then brushed with melted butter too!

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients

3 1/2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast

2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup instant potato flakes

3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk (I used regular milk powder)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons soft butter

2/3 cup lukewarm water

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Topping:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tbsp sugar

Sesame seeds

Water for brushing

Method

1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased container — an 8-cup measure works well here — and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes in a warm draught-free place, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
4. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball.
5. Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Space 8 buns in each pan. Can you use 9" round cake pans, or a 9" x 13" pan? Sure; the buns just won't nestle together as closely, so their sides will be a bit more baked.
6. Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. Uncover the buns, brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake them for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it.
8. Remove the buns from the oven, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. After a couple of minutes, turn them out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
9. Serve warm with butter. Store leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature. Warm up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving.

Yield: 16 buns.

Soft, moist and chewy goodness

Bread ring with sweet pecan butter filling

Blueberries, Milk and Oat Crumble Bar

I remember having a most delicious blueberry crumble at Lake Agnes Teahouse over at Lake Louise in Banff National Park many years ago. It was a generous portion with a sweet and luscious blueberry filling sandwiched in between crisp and light oatmeal crumble. It made the long hike up to the Big Beehive worth it.

Here is a recipe for Blueberry Crumble, although not exactly the same as the one I remembered, but still delicious. Smells like butterscotch! It's a recipe that is easy enough for the kids to help out with.

Blueberries, Milk and Oat Crumble Bar

Adapted from Celebreaty4recipes

Ingredients

Filling:

3 cups fresh/frozen blueberries
1/2 cup  sugar
2 tbsp orange juice

Finely grated rind of one orange

1 tbsp tapioca starch (or substitute with cornflour)

Crumble:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup plain flour
1/4 cup milk powder
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
120g butter, melted

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 9 inch square pan with baking paper. Lay out the rolled oats on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 4-5 minutes.

Combine filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the mixture reduces to a thick consistency.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the crumble. Then, add melted butter and mix with a spatula until well combined. Spoon one third of the crumble mixture into the baking pan and press firmly to form a crust. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the top with remaining crumble mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until brown and crisp. Cool before cutting into squares. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Easy Gyoza or Potstickers

Gyoza served with a soy, black vinegar, chilli and sesame oil dipping sauce

G came home from work and was happy to see that I had made gyoza for dinner. He asked what inspired me to do so (because I don't make dumplings very often) and I told him it was Rasa Malaysia, where I saw pictures of some delectable-looking gyozas and couldn't resist making them. Making dumplings are quite therapeutic, and the more you make, the more efficient you get and the nicer they look. It's like origami, just edible.

The filling is made from pork mince, chinese cabbage, spring onions, ginger and garlic, seasoned with soy (I used Bonito soy sauce that I found at the Asian grocery), sake, sugar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. For the dipping sauce, I used soy sauce, Chinkiang black vinegar, sesame oil and chilli oil. The dumplings are super easy to make (using ready-made gow gee wrappers of course), and they are pan-fried, steamed with a little water, and then browned again once the water evaporates. They have a lovely chewy and crisp texture, and the pleats/folds in the skin are perfect for catching the tangy dipping sauce.

I made extra, so I popped the rest in the freezer for a rainy day. So much better than buying frozen ones from the supermarket, and they are so easy to prepare! I will definitely be making many more of these in future!

Love the crisp caramelized bottoms of the gyozas

Extra (uncooked) gyozas are great for storing in the freezer for another day

Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

The last time I made these were for Z's birthday party last year. This time, I'm making them to fill his school lunchbox so that he can have them for morning tea. He absolutely loves these (and so do we) and if you don't think about the butter and sugar that goes onto them, they are a healthy baked snack! And they don't crumble and leave crumbs everywhere, nor do they leave a sticky mess on little hands. And they also taste great topped with some warm mashed banana!

A real easy one to prepare (if you're using store-bought tortillas of course, or you can use pita bread if you like), try it out:

Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:

Tortillas

Cinnamon sugar (Caster sugar combined with ground cinnamon)

Melted butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line baking tray with greaseproof/baking paper.
2. Brush a generous amount of butter over each tortilla and top them with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. The sugar will caramelize in the oven and create a crunchy sweet buttery crust. If you like, you can butter and sugar both sides of the tortilla (which is easier done after you have cut them into eighths).
3. Cut the tortilla into eighths using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Arrange them on the baking tray and pop them in the oven (upper rack) for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned, and sugar caramelized. Be careful as they brown and burn quickly.
4. Remove from tray, leave to cool and store in an airtight container.

Lemon Blueberry Friands

After the spate of pineapple tarts I've been baking, I was left with many egg whites collecting in little Glad containers in the fridge. I used some of it to make a 1-yolk-4-egg-white sunny-side-up, and was still left with 4 more egg whites. One of the easiest ways (other than throwing them into the frying pan) to use them up is to make friands. All that is needed to make these are basically butter, almond meal, flour, sugar and egg whites. And I like recipes that don't require the use of a mixer/beater, which means less washing up! It's that simple and takes only minutes to prepare.

This recipe I used was adapted from Exclusively Food. The only difference is that I added some lemon zest to the batter. As I didn't have an oval friand pan, I made them using a regular muffin tin. I love a good friand that has just the right balance of almond meal and butter, and this recipe is all that. Great as a teatime snack or dessert.

Toll House Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are sensational! Crispy around the edges and slightly chewy in the centre with just the right amount of sweetness. The recipe comes from a book by Alex Goh that I recently added to my cookbook collection. I hadn't planned on making any cookies that afternoon as I still had some lemon loaf from the previous day. I had brought Z to the supermarket and he insisted that he wanted to buy this box of chocolate chip cookies. I don't really trust most of the baked goods that are made and sold in-house by the supermarkets as I believe they are overloaded with sugar and probably preservatives and other additives as well. So I told him that I'd make cookies for him instead. I was hoping he would have forgotten about it after we got home, but right after lunch, he said, "Mummy, can you get all the ingredients first?". I paused for a while (as I was busy washing the dishes) before I realised what he was asking. Just as well, since J was asleep, I quickly pulled out the recipe and proceeded to get everything ready, which didn't take too long. I just had to wait an hour for the dough to firm up in the fridge before shaping and placing the cookies on the baking tray, and they only took 15 minutes in the oven. I never used to like chewy cookies, but these are buttery, thin and light in texture with a slight chewiness and a hint of hazelnut meal which makes them just a little special :)

Mini Rice Omelettes

This is a quick and easy way to use up leftover rice, and these mini fried-rice-cakes are great for tiny little hands. Terrific for school lunch boxes as well!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 slice of bacon
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
1 tbsp chopped parsley or spring onion
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp heavy cream/milk (optional)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method:

1. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and stir fry the bacon, garlic, rice, and parsley/spring onion for 3-5 minutes.
2. Combine the rice mixture with the beaten egg and cream (and cheese, if used) and season with salt and pepper. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
3. Heat up some oil in the pan and ladle spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan. Fry both sides till golden brown. Drain on absorbent kitchen towel. Serve hot with chilli, ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Note: You can also substitute 1/2 cup of the rice with some grated potatoes.

The kids like to "paint" using squeeze-bottle ketchup and barbecue sauce

Crunchy Choc Chip, Pecan and Almond Cookies







Freshly baked choc chip cookies cooling on the rack
 

Z had a craving for chocolate chip cookies yesterday, so I told him that I would make some for him today. My cousin R was kind enough to share her recipe with me. The only variation that I made to it was the addition of vanilla extract. I also used chopped pecans and almond slivers. The cookies came out great with an amazing texture that was light and crunchy. Initially, I had planned to make a separate batch with only choc chips without nuts in them, but H had mixed the chips and nuts together in the bowl before I could stop her. So, when Z saw that there were nuts in the cookies, he totally lost interest in them! H however was not as fussy and ate a couple. Well, so much for baking cookies for the kids...next time, I should probably keep the kids out of the kitchen when I'm baking!

(I only used up half of the cookie dough as that already yielded about 80 bite-sized cookies, and I can't imagine how we are ever going to finish them! I rolled up the remainder dough in clingwrap and stored it in the freezer so that they are ready to be cut and baked the next time anyone in the house has a craving!)

Crunchy Choc Chip, Pecan and Almond Cookies

 

Ingredients:

250g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 1/2 cups of self raising flour
1 cup choc chips
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cup almond nibs, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius.
2. Beat butter, brown sugar, caster sugar and egg till well blended. Add cocoa, flour and bicarbonate of soda and beat on low speed till combined.
3. Add choc chips and nuts and mix well.
4. Spoon onto baking tray lined with baking paper. Compress it so that it holds its shape. If dough is too soft, refrigerate until it firms up slightly before shaping the cookies. I used about 1 tablespoon to make small-sized cookies.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.