Dinner by Lorr

Braised pork and potatoes

2009-05-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Its been a while. Its interesting to see that my vistors found this recipe blog through searching for me, rather than searching for recipes. None the less.

Here's a really yummy and simple recipe taken off Hochiak!

Marinate 250g cubed Pork cutlet with:
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
pepper
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp dark soy sauce

for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice 3 medium potatoes and fry them - set aside.

Fry: 2 cloves chopped garlic for 2 minutes,
Toss pork in - 5 minutes
Add 1/4 c hot water after sugar caramalizes. Stir in potatoes.
Cover, simmer for 5 minutes and serve.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

2009-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

How can I forget? and I am hainanese. For it to be truly enjoyable, you must make the sauces as well. It may look daunting but really, its a repetition of the ingredients and steps.

1.
Being to boil enough water in to cover 1 chicken. Rub salt onto the chicken, stuff it with 1 inch piece of ginger, 5 garlic cloves slightly smashed and 1/4 tsp salt.

Put chicken breast down in, lower heat and cook for about 25 minutes uncovered. and then turn off the flame and cover the pot. Let it steep for another 25 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, wash 2 cups of long grain rice and leave to dry on a towel.
Prepare the ingredients needed for the rice: 3cm ginger grated, 3 garlic cloves grated.

Spoon a little water into the wok and add chicken fat in. Let the fat boil out then discard the chicken skin. Add the garlic and ginger without burning. Add the dried rice in and coat with the oil. Salt it. Place into a rice cooker pot.

3. The chicken should be done. take it out and dunk into a bucket of ice water.
Transfer the required amount of the chicken stock made into the rice cooker pot. Cook rice.

4. Make Chilli sauce: Blend/pound
5 chillies
1 cm giner
2 garlic cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chicken stock

5. Make Ginger sauce: Blend
2 inch ginger
3 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chicken stock.

6. Make sauce of chicken:
1 tbsp garlic oil
1 tsp sesame oil
5 tbsp soy suace
1.5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chicken stock

7.
Chop up the chicken, lay it on chopped cucumbers and pour chicken sauce over.
Garnish with coriander. Serve with chilli sauce, ginger sauce and chicken flavoured rice.

Suggestion: Serve with Beansprouts with salted fish

Bean (Mung) sprouts with salted fish

2009-03-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

The simple things..Yum
I went by feel, so bear with me.

Heat up some oil in a wok, add 1 clove of garlic, chopped up.

Add in 4 x 6 cm piece of salted fish, cut up. Fry until fragrant.

Add in 2.5 handful of Beansprouts, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce and a dash of soy sauce. (Its probably safe to say 1 tsp)

Stir fry - but not for too long, you want it crunchy. Serve!

Ayam Bakar (Barbequed Chicken)

2008-10-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

This serves 4 hungry male students as part of a meal. Junyi told me I outdid myself with this dish today. Actually, this recipe has been taken off the Chinese Woman Association Cookbook sold in Singapore for Charity Purposes. Good stuff.

You need 1kg worth of Chicken Thighs, bone in. Marinate this for 30 minutes in:
2 tbsp Kecap Manis (Sweet Soya Sauce)
2 tbsp palm sugar, chopped
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves, shredded.

Make this Rempah with Motar and Pestle (the old fashioned way :) )
8 shallots
5 candle nuts (or Buah Keras as you might know it)
6 dried little red chillis, softend by soaking in hot water for 10 minutes.
2 garlic cloves.

Now to make the Sambal:
Saute 1 sliced onion until soft, add Rempah and stir fry for a short while.
Add 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised. finally, 200ml of water.
Cook until it has reduced. Set aside.

Grill the chicken. Add 1 tbsp oil to the remaining marinade and use it to baste the chicken every now and then.

When the chicken is cooked, top with sambal and serve with rice.

For dessert, consider stewed bananas in coconut milk. Yum.

Wasabi Mayonnaise

2008-10-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

2 tbsp Wasabi
8 tbsp Mayonnaise
0.5 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar

Heat the lemon juice slightly and dilute sugar in it.

Then blend them all away, Serve with fried wantons, buttermilk calamari or anything you fancy.

The best steamed egg

2008-08-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Serves 3 people as a complement to other dishes.

Marinate 250g minced pork with
1 tsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp sesame oil
0.5 tsp white pepper
1 tsp fresh coriander
1 tbsp minced ginger
1.5 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp spring onions, chopped fine

In a seperate bowl, whip:

2 large eggs
0.5 cup stock
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oil
1 tbsp spring onions, chopped

Pour egg mix over meat and skim bubbles.

Place in steamer on med high heat for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let settle in there for 5 min.

Honey Ricotta Cheesecake

2008-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

I have to share this. I had no camera to take a picture, but this recipe is really good. Its taken off Giada De Laurentiis.

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Grind 8 oz biscotti, add 8 tbsp melted butter, mix it up well. Press onto the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 15 minutes or golden. Cool it completely.

Meanwhile, Blend 12 oz ricotta cheese (drained) until smooth, add 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar. Blend.
Add 1/4 cup orange blossom honey and 1 tbsp of orange zest. Blend.
Add 4 large eggs and pulse until blended.

Pour the cheese mixture over the crust. Put springform pan into a large roasting pan filled with hot water. Make sure water comes up to half the springform pan.

Bake for 1hr 5mins.

Cool for 1 hour outside then refridgerate for 8 hours or up to 2 days.

Banana in coconut milk

2007-12-08T05:08:00.000-08:00

Oh god, this was so yummy Matthew finished up everything....

Okay.
Ingredients
2 large bananas
1 cup coconut milk(The can says coconut cream, but really only the top layer is cream. I use the whole can, all 400g of it for 3 large bananas)
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
2 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar.

Bring the coconut milk to boil, and then add the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Stir to dissolve.
Add bananas, bring to boil again.
Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until bananas are soft - not mushy.

Serve with a sprinkling of extra cinnamon. :)

SO easy and SO good.

Food Blog review

2007-12-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

I have yet to test te recipes on Hochiak!, but so far according to my gut feeling(an essential for a cook!) - it seems pretty alright. WHICH is why this is my first blog review.

It contains mostly Malaysian food and even includes a recipe for Kueh Lapis. He has a picture for every dish which he dilligently uploads..(unlike me. heh) He also does reviews of hawkers in KL and around!

I give this food blog 4 outta 5!

Vietnamese Beef Pho

2007-10-11T21:59:00.001-07:00

Pho (like fur) is a nice flat rice noodle. This recipe serves it in a spicy beef broth. This version is abit more forgiving to the busy woman - I use beef stock or consomme. I find that the quality of the beef stock is extremely important.

For the Soup:
Bring 600ml beef stock to boil.

Add: 40g piece fresh ginger sliced to matchsticks, 1/4 tsp coriander seeds, 1.5 piece star anise, 1 small cinnamon stick.

Simmer for 15 minutes

Then add 1/3 tsp sugar, 1/3 tsp salt, 1/3 tsp black pepper(grd) and 1.3 tsp fish sauce.

Strain the soup and keep hot, doesnt have to be boiling.

To serve:
Cook about 130g of pho (or your better judgement), drain and divide into bowls.

Add 150g of thinly sliced beef to the soup - beef so thin it cooks in a few swirls around the pot. Divide the beef over the noodles.

Top with a generous handful of beansprouts (Tau gay), a tbsp of sliced shallots and fresh coriander. You may also put fresh Basil leaves if you like the taste.

Ladle soup over.

Serve on the side hoisin sauce, chilli sauce, sliced chilli, more Thai basil and halved limes on the side.

Chicken Makhani (butter chicken)

2007-10-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe is soooo good. Ive been cooking alot but havent taken pictures! However, you should honestly try this recipe. :) 5/5!

Heat a tbsp of oil and saute 1/4 chopped white onion, 1 chopped shallot until soft.
Stir in
2 tbsp butter,
2 tsp lemon juice,
3 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tsp garam masala,
1 tsp chilli powder,
1 tsp ground cumin
and 1 bayleaf.

cook for 1 minute then add 1 cup tomato puree for 1 minute.

Stir in 1 cup hi-lo milk, 4 tbsp yoghurt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Seanson with salt & pepper and leave aside.

In another pot, heat 3 tbsp butter and fry 500g of chopped up chicken thigh(skinless) until browned, reduce heat and add 1 tsp garam malasa, 1 tsp grd coriander and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Stir in the sauce and simmer.

Mix together 3 tsp corn starch and 4 tbsp water, mix into sauce to thicken (10 minutes).
Add in 1/4 c cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with Basmati rice and pappudum! yummmm

My version of Tiramisu(strawberries, rum and turkish coffee!)

2007-06-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

Serves a gazillion. okay about 13 people. need a big bowl. I had enough leftover to bring to work.

So first you wash, hull and thickly slice a package of strawberries. Then you put it in a bowl with 2 tbsp of white sugar and about 1/3 cup of rum.

Let it sit. Grate about 100g of dark chocolate and leave it aside.

Then you beat 4 egg yolks with 1c of rum until well mixed. then add the Mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth.

In a seperate bowl. You beat the egg whites(4) until frothy, then while you're beating it, add 1c of white sugar. Beat until stiff so it can stand like this:

Quickly fold into the cheese mixture.

Then you dip lady's fingers(the sponge one. not the vegetable!) into cold espresso. In my case, I used turkish coffee. You need about 500g package of sponge fingers and still have 4 fingers leftover.
so you dip it and line a dish with it. Put one layer of strawberries. Then one layer of the cheese mixture. and one layer of grated chocolate.
Repeat the layering. and viola!

So easy!

Chicken Dopiaza

2007-06-23T03:04:00.000-07:00

Serves 4. Very yummy. Good when you have cold weather.heh. Matthew, my darling, has learned to scoop rice into his mouth with his hands now!

Heat 3 tbsp of oil and fry 6 small onions, halved, until soft. Keep aside.

Using remaining oil, fry:
2 Bay leaves,
8 green cardamom pods,
3 - 4 dried chilli
4 cloves
12 black peppercorns
all these for 2 minutes.

then add:
2 big onions, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 inch ginger(young), sliced finely.
for 5 minutes.

and then you add:
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground chilli powder.
1/2 tsp salt
for 2 minutes

Then you add:
1 can of chopped tomatoes( I added the sauce in as well.)
1/2 cup of water.
Let it simmer so sauce will thicken.

then you add 8 pieces of chicken( I used drumsticks with skin pulled back )
Cook for 15 minutes then add the reserved onions and cook until chicken is tender.

Serve with Basmati rice.

Cream of Pumpkin soup

2007-06-11T02:53:00.000-07:00

Makes 9 servings.

In a big pot, melt 1/2c of butter.
Saute till soft(NOT brown): 1 big onion, chopped up.
4 cloves of garlic, chopped up.

Add 4c of chicken stock, 800g fresh pumpkin chopped up, 200g sweet potato chopped up, 4 generous sprigs of parsley- chopped, 1 tsp thyme(or 10cm fresh thyme-chopped), 7cm rosemary(or 1 tsp dried rosemary), salt and black cracked peppercorns.

Bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Let it cool for a bit, just so you can puree the soup in batches. It should still be hot after puree-ing. So Ladle it into a nice flat bowl, add 2 table spoons of thick cream in the middle, swirl it in. place the parsley nicely and serve.

Wan ton Dumplings

2007-03-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

These dumplings are easy to make, can be kept aside in the fridge till ready to use. Thus its flexibility. It can also be boiled as a filler into your soup or deep fried and served with a dollop of mayonaise.

for approximately 30 dumplings:

Mix 130 grams of minced pork with:
2 cloves of garlic, minced.
2 slices of ginger, minced.
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Shao Hsing Rice wine
2 tsp sugar
generous amount of white pepper
1 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp of 1/2 cm chopped spring onions.

Mix this well and finally add 1 tbsp of sesame oil(black).

Chop up approximately the same volume of prawns and mix it in with the meat. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes before wrapping.

Tips:

On wrapping, place a tsp of filling in the middle, brush half the surrounding pastry with water and fold the dry side in. Make sure no air is kept in it or it will poof when you cook it.

The idea of wanton is that its delicate and not overstuffed with meat. I don't wrap it too fancily, just folding it into triangles will do.

I usually use th egg wanton wrappers - they are yellow, as opposed to the white ones.

Bak Kut Teh (Rou Gu Cha)

2007-03-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

This dish is surprisingly easy and tastes really good. Forget abt the packet ones they sell and make from scratch! I think this is a good simplified version.

(for 3 hungry people. Total time taken: 10.5 hours. 20 min. to prepare. )

Ingredients:

(in spice bag. Just get a muslin bag..or anything that works like a tes bag.)
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1 tbsp white peppercorns
1 tbsp hawthorn berries(Kei Chee)
2 Star Anise

500g meaty pork ribs (not the American Spare Ribs)
2 heads of garlic, unpeeled.
1tbsp salt
1 tbsp dark soya sauce.

What to do?
Put spice bag, ribs and garlic in a pot. Fill with water so that it covers all ingredients. ( I made twice this size and didn't have a big pot so used a wok! haha)

Next you bring it to boil. Skim off fat as it rises.

Add soya sauce and salt. Reduce heat so it simmers.. I cooked it for like 10 hours. The longer the better but I would suggest a minimum of 2 hours.

Before you serve, bring to boil. Serve with white rice and braised Kiam Chye.

Mango Sago Puree (with Chocolate Honey Nougat ice cream)

2007-03-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

Its a favourite so far and very simple to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 c sago.
3c water

6 tbsp coconut cream
1/2 c mango nector/juice
1/6 c sugar

2 c mango chopped up.
Evaporated milk

1.Bring water to boil, add sago. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.

2.add coconut cream, mango nector and sugar. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until most liquid evaporated.

3. pour mix into bowl with mangoes in it. Using an electric blender, whisk the mix so most of the mango is pureed but still has some chunks in it. add evaporated milk.

4. Chill for 4 hours.

5. Before serving, add a scoop of ice cream. Recommended flavors: Coconut, vanilla, caramel.

Buttermilk Calamari

2007-02-17T23:25:00.000-08:00

Serves 4, or 3 hungry students.

You need....

Calamari:
2 large squid heads, sliced to form rings.

Batter:
1 c buttermilk
1 c all purpose flour
1 egg.
3 tbsp cracked pepper(dry fried before hand)
salt to taste

Whisk the egg, add it into the buttermilk. Blend this mix into the flour until all clumps are gone. Add the salt and pepper and blend somemore. Leave to stand for 20 minutes.

Slide squid rings into the batter, leave for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up enough oil to deep fry. Wait till its very hot, then put the rings in one by one! (or they'll stick.) Careful, it pops!

Wait till its golden brown. fish the rings out and drain oil.

Serve with Wasabi Mayonnaise.