Crusty Ham & Cheese Meatloaf

Got the standard meatloaf recipe from Mags. Decided to do a 'clear up of leaftovers' in the fridge thing before supermarket shopping later on. Decided to improv (that's the training term for 'improvise' activities) and here's what I got. Not a bad outcome, the top was almost like short crust pastry. Give it a try!
Ingredients
300g minced beef
Herbs (I used my favourite '4 big kings' or 'shi da tian wang' variation but you can use anything that you like which goes well with beef e.g. rosemary, oregano, etc)
2 tbls light soya sauce or salt to taste
Freshly milled black pepper
2 eggs
4 slices picnic ham, sliced into cubes
3 thick slices of bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese, grated
8g melted butter

Method
1. Mix the minced beef, herbs, salt and black pepper together. Add the ham and half the bread crumbs and mix well.
2. Beat up 2 eggs. Pour into the mixture and mix well.
3. Brush a baking tray or casserole dish with melted butter.
4. Spread on the beef mixture, pressing down with a fork to ensure that the mixture is well distributed over the surface of the pan, and pat down the surface so that it is flat.
5. Pour in the melted butter into the bread crumbs. It should resemble breadcrumb consistency (no pun intended)
6. Spread on the bread crumbs on top and pat down with the fork.
7. Sprinkle grated cheese on the top.
8. Bake at 200 C for 20 mins. If using a casserole, cover for 1st 15 mins and unconvered to brown and melt the cheese for last 5 mins.

Slice up and serve with salad. Nice for a warm summers' day or as picnic food.

Variation
If you're a real cheese lover, sprinkle the grated cheese into the beef mixture and mix well for that extra cheesey surprise when you bite into the loaf.

5 spice Pig Maw soup

People say that as we get older, our tastes change and we start to appreciate foods with stronger flavours. Indeed, as a child, I would swear off intestines of any form. Yet in the last 10 years, after an introduction to 'kuay chup', I started liking intestines. I developed a liking pig maw (stomach) soup only in the last couple of years and would look forward to it. Of course it's not the healthiest dish on earth and frankly, neither is it very tasty, but I like the texture of chewing pig maw.

However, I notice that most pig maw soups that I've had are usually quite bland - it is usually just pork bone/chicken stock and pig maw with tonnes of black pepper. Not much taste otherwise, which has always been a 'source of concern' for me. Especially since most soups I've tasted had so much black pepper, it was more like a very peppery soup and not much else, and it's usually to cover the 'soh' smell of the maw.

I thought of my mom's great 5-spice chicken soup and decided to adapt that. I cook this all up in a slow cooker so that the pig maw is not tough. Great to pop this into the pot in the morning and u got lovely soup after a hard day at work! (that's provided u can pry yourself from bed in the morning!)

Ingredients (serves 4)
300g cooked pig maw
300g pork bones for soup (soft bones are great too)
10 cups of water (coffee mugs are great - u can add more water if you want a thinner soup)
1 handful wolf berries (optional, adds sweetness)

Seasonings A
1 shallot, finely chopped
2-cm length ginger, sliced
2 tsp 5-spice powder
9 cloves
4 star anise
2 cinammon sticks
10 black pepper seeds

Seasonings B
2 tsp sugar
2 tbls chinese rice wine

2 - 3 tsp salt (to taste)

Method
1) In a slow cooker, put in the maw and bones. Boil the water and pour it over the maw and bones. This is very important as it will scald the bones and seal in all the juices, and keep your soup clear. Alternatively, I brown my bones in a pan (what they do for ang mo stews) together with the onion and ginger. It takes more time, but adds a nice caramalized flavour to the soup.
2) Put in the wolf berries and Seasonings A and cook for 1.5 hours.
3) Add in the sugar and wine to taste after the 1 hour mark.
4) Add in the salt last (also to taste), about half an hour before the end. You don't want to put in the salt too early as salt is easily absorbed into the food. 1stly, salt causes meats to 'sieze up' and turns it tough. 2ndly, it is easily absorbed into the food and at the end of the cooking time, u can't taste it in the soup anymore, so you end up putting in more. I've been taught to put it in near the end so that you only flavour the soup and it means u add less salt to your cooking overall.

Serve with steamed rice. Lovely.

Cheesy Bak kwa sandwich

Now that the CNY feasting is nearly over, what to do with left overs? Well, usually with bak kwa, that's seldom a problem but I guess the weight-conscious people like me would eat it really sparingly.

To assauge my guilt, I turn it into a good and super easy to prepare meal, and I use other 'healthier alternatives' like low fat cheese and margarine (rather than butter). Especially useful after a bout of exercise of course! :P

Of course in reality, we all know I'm fooling myself...but what the heck, CNY only comes around once a year. Eating bak kwa any other time of the year kinda loses it's festive 'flavour'.
Ingredients
1/2 slice of bak kwa
1 slice low fat cheese (but of course!)
2 slices bread
margarine (but of course too!)

Method
1) Only assembly required. I usually put the cheese on top of the bak kwa so that it melts into the bak gwa. Yum.
2) Grill the sandwich or toast it. For best results, use a sandwich maker.
3) Optional - you can slot slices of tomato or lettuce into the sandwich but only after it's been grilled/toasted. You don't want your veggies to wilt!

Steamed Fish with Lemongrass

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Fish marinade
3 stalks lemongrass, sliced thinly
4 red bird eye chillies
30g (1 oz) ginger, julienned
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice (optional)
1 whole sea bass, make incisions on both sides of the flesh

Chilli sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pcs coriander roots
5 red bird eye chillies
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp fish sauce

Method
1) Prepare the chilli sauce ahead. Crush the garlic, coriander roots and red bird eye chillies in a mortar and pestle to obtain a rough paste. Add sugar, lime juice, water and fish sauce and combine well. Keep refrigerated.
2) Place the fish on a platter. Combine all the ingredients and marinte the fish for 5 minutes.
3) Place the fish in a steamer and steam for about 20-25 mins until cooked through but still flakey.
4) Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve with chilli sauce and rice.

Optional garish
Infuse some hot oil with leftover lemongrass. Strain and pour a few drops over the fish for extra flavour.

Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 large pineapple
3 tbsp cooking oil
200g (1/2 lb) chicken leg meat, skinned, boneless, cubed
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
12 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp soya sauce
50g (2 oz) cashew nuts, roasted
50g (2 oz) raisins
Coriander leaves (cilantro) for garnish

Method
1) Cut the pineapple into half lengthwise. Scoup out the flesh, leaving the skin intact so both havles can be used as serving dishes for the rice. Cut the flesh into medium sized cubes. Reserve 100g for the rice and keep the rest for another use.
2) Place the oil in a wok over high heat. Saute the chicken for a few minutes, until cooked. Reduce the heat and add the onion and stir fry till translucent.
3) Add the cooked rice and tumeric powder and stir well until the rice is well mixed in.
4) Add the fish sauce, soya sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
5) Stir in cashew nuts and raisins. Add 100g (1/4 lb) of diced pineapple.
6) Serve hot in the pineapple bowls, garnish with a few cashew nuts, raisins and coriander leaves.

Note
The chicken can be replaced by prawns if desired.

Red Curry with Chicken and Pumpkin

I managed to get the Thai recipes my other cols learnt at Sunrice. Here they are.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Red curry paste
4 red bird eye chillies
5 dried red chillies
6 small shallots
8 cloves of garlic
pinch ground cumin
pinch gound coriander
2 cm galangal
2 stalks lemongrass
1 kaffir lime, rind only

Chicken and pumpkin
400g boneless chicken leg, cut into 1" cubes
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 tbsp red curry paste
2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp palm sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
150g pumpkin, diced, steamed till cooked but firm
20g thai sweet basic leaves
1 red chilli, thinly sliced

Method
1) Prepare the red curry paste ahead of time. Pound all the ingredients together (starting with lemon grass and galangal) to form a fine paste. To make it easier, you may want to chop up the ingredients first. Set aside.
2) Place the oil into a wok and fry the red curry paste for 5 mins over moderate heat until the fragrance emerges. Be careful not to burn the paste, adding a little oil or water if necessary.
3) Add coconut milk. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the fish sauce, palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves.
4) Stir in the pumpkin and cook for 2 mins. Garnish.

Chef's tip:
Carefully remove the flesh from the pumpkin and reserve the skin for use as a serving bowl.

Popiah

This was our competition dish and we won! We were judged on presentation, portion and concept. Kudos to my team for doing such a great job, and thanks to myself for the masterpiece chilli flower carving! :P

Ingredients (serves 4)

Filling
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic, chopped finely
1 tsp preserved soya bean paste
1 bamboo shoot, shredded
200g turnip, shredded finely
1 piece soya bean cake, cut into strips and deep fried
4 popiah skins
1 tsp salt

Garnish
1 tsp sweet flour sauce
1 tsp chilli past
1 tsp garlic paste
1 bunch chinese lettuce (pang chye), washed and drained
50g bean sprouts, blanched
1 hard boiled egg, peeled and cut into strips
100g prawns, steamed and deshelled
1/4 spring coriander leaves (cilantro)
1/4 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into strips
1 cup water

Method
1) Use 2 tbls oil. Stir fry garlic at low heat until slightly fragrant, then turn up heat and add salted soya bean and fry until fragrant.
2) Add in the bamboo shoots and turnip and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3) Add in the water and cook for 5 minutes.
4) Add in the bean cake and season with salt.
5) Fry until water has evaporated. Remember to stir frequently so as not to burn.
6) To assemble, place 1 piece of popiah skin on a flat surface and overlap another piece on top, leaving a portion intersecting. This is so that the popiah skin doesn't break so easily and gives you more surface area to work with. The 'smooth' surface of the popiah skin lies on the flat surface.
7) Spread 1/4 tsp each of garlic and chilli paste and sweet flour sauce in the middle of the skin (the intersecting portion).
8) Lay on the lettuce (remove the stem), bean sprouts and 2 heaped tbls of drained turnip filling onto the centre.
9) Add eggs, prawns and coriander leaf and cucumber according to preference.
10) Roll away from you twice, tuck in the ends and finish to obtain a tight cylinder. Place the roll on its seam. Continue with the rest of the wrappings and filings, place the rolls on a flat dish.
11) Slice cross-wise into 4 portions and serve warm.

Laksa

Ingredients (serves 4)

Paste
3 stalks lemon grass, finely shredded (just the white portion)
2cm galangal, peeled
3 candlenuts
12 dried red chilli, soaked in hot water
6 shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp shrimp paste (balachan)
1 cm fresh tumeric
1 tsp coriander powder

Laksa ingredients
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in hot water for 30 mins, drained and pounded
3 cups water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 cups coconut milk (packet type)
400g fresh laksa noddles
100g bean spourts, blanched in boiling water for 15 seconds
4 medium sized prawns, blanched and peeled
50 g fish cake, fried and finely sliced
1 boiled egg, cut into quarters
1/4 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and shredded
5 laksa leaves, shredded (or use a whole stalk, washed and knotted)

Method
1) Start by making the spice paste. Pound all the ingredients to obtain a fine paste. Start with lemongrass, galangal and tumeric, then candlenuts, shallots and dried chillis, and lastly, balachan and add the coriander powder.
2) Heat 4 tbls oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry until fragrant for about 10 minutes. It becomes very dry at this point, so be careful not to burn it. You can add 1 more tsp of oil. It should look glossy at this point.
3) Add the pounded dried prawns and stir fry for another minute.
4) Increase the heat to high, add in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. You should see the oil sort of separate.
5) Lower the heat to medium and add in the coconut milk; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. There should be a thin layer of oil on top, not too much oil!
6) Add in sugar and salt. (it can be slightly more salty to compensate for the noodles which absorb the taste and are bland)
7) If you find the gravy too thin, let it cool for 10 mins, then warm it up again on medium. Bring it to a simmer and it would have thickened.
8) Blanch the noddles, beanspourts and place in serving bowl. Arrange the fish cakes and egg on top.
9) Pour over the gravy and serve with sliced cucumber.

Sambal String Ray

Went for cooking lessons as part of a team bonding workshop at Sunrice, a culinary academy at Fort Canning. Learnt 3 Singaporean favourites - Sambal Sting Ray, Laksa and Popiah. Never knew it was so easy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

600g sting ray
5g salt
Oil to baste

Sambal chilli tumis
20g dried prawns
75g shallots (about 2)
3 cloves garlic
15 dried red chilli - deseeded and soaked
1/2tsp prawn paste (balachan)

Method

1) Marinate the sting ray with salt and set aside.

2)Pound all the ingredients for the paste together to obtain a fine paste. Start with prawns, garlic and shallots, then chilli and lastly, balachan. To make it easier, you can chop the ingredients up first before pounding.
3) Heat the 4 tbls oil in a pan. Add the paste and stir fry until fragrant. It will turn dry, so keep adding water slowly tsp by tsp and fry until the mixture becomes wet and 'shiny'. The paste should be moist but not like a gravy!
4) Spoon the sambal over the sting ray and pat down, ensuring that the whole surface is covered.
5) Heat a grill and grill the sting ray on each side for 5 mins or until cooked.
6) Alternatively, put sting ray on banana leaf and bake at 180 degrees for 15 mins or until cooked.
7) Garnish with lime and serve hot.

Cornflake cookies

That dratted festival will soon be upon us! Yes, CNY again. I remember getting all excited about the festival - coming home from school and helping Gran make cookies. She'll always make 2 kinds - her delicious butter cookies and also her kueh bankit. No where else have I tasted kueh bankit which quite compares. I'd help her cut the dough with the cookie cutters, crimp out the designs, etc. My aunt would make her delicious pineapple tarts and love letters and never failed to give us at least a tin of each.

Sadly, Gran's receipes are lost to us now. As for my aunt, she's getting on in years and can't bake as much as she used to.

However, in the spirit of baking something festive, I've started my own traditions of baking simple cookies. This year however, the spirit escapes me. Maybe it's the environment, at least in the past in an 'auntie' environment, I was spurred to bake my own goodies and bring them to work, sharing in the season. Everyone would be in on it, baking their own goodies and bringing them to work. I miss those times.

This is the prized receipe of my ex-colleague, a super duper baker.

Ingredients
10 oz self-raising flour
1 egg
8 oz butter
6 oz fine sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 box cornflakes

Method
1) Cream butter, sugar & egg till sugar has melted.
2) Add vanilla, flour slowly bit by bit.
3) Finally add the crushed cornflakes.
4) Press together hard into a ball and fit them into tiny paper cups. U can coat some cornflakes on the outside too.
5) Bake at 120 degrees for about 45 mins.