Savory Rice Dumplings

After searching around, I’m not sure if it’s my family habit to call these rice dumplings 咸肉粽 (“kiam bak chang” – hokkien). No one else seems to be calling it so. I suppose being “some what” Nonyas, we differentiate it from the Nonya Chang.

Ingredients :

40 large bamboo leaves, soaked in hot water
20 long strings

Rice
2lb uncooked glutinous rice, soaked overnight
2tbsp dark soya sauce
2tbsp soya sauce
5tbsp cooking oil

Filling
2lb stewing pork
40 small dried shittake mushrooms, soaked
20 dried chestnuts, soaked and preboiled
2/3 cup dried shrimp, soaked
5tbsp dark soya sauce
5tbsp soy sauce
Cooking oil
3tbsp chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1tbsp 5 spice powder

To Do :
1. Heat oil, saute garlic. When fragrant, add stewing meat.
2. When almost done, add shrimps, chestnuts and mushrooms.
3. Add remainder ingredients for Filling. Remove from heat when cooked.
4. Separately, heat oil, add rice and cook for 3mins.
5. Add condiments. Remove from heat when almost dry.
6. Assemble*
7. Cook in a pot of boiling water on HI for 1hr. Reduce heat, cook on low for another 1 1/2hr.
8. Enjoy.

* Watch the experts.
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Kueh Dadar

Ingredients

Filling
2/3 cup Gula melaka*
2 cups Grated coconut
1/3 cup water
pinch of salt

Crepe
100g AP flour, shifted
1 egg
1/2 tsp Pandan paste
1/2 cup water

To Do :
1. Mix ingredients for Filling; cook until dry.
2. Combine ingredients for crepe, let it sit for 1/2hr.
3. Place 2 tbsp of batter into a non-stick pan, create a crepe.
4. Cook over low heat.
5. Wrap with Filling, as an egg roll.

* I could only find Gula Jawa at our grocer. So I used a combination of Gula Jawa with Brown sugar. Gula Melaka is preferred, gives a richer and darker color to the Filling.

Home-made Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients :
3 egg yolks
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and scrapped

To Do :
1. Whisk yolks and sugar till creamy.
2. Bring cream and half and half to a slow boil.
3. Add one cup of milk mixture to eggs. Combine well.
4. Repeat.
5. Pour egg mixture into milk, cook until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Stir in vanilla.
7. Refrigerate overnight in a lidded container.
8. Apply to ice cream maker, according to instructions.

“Saam Lo”

Ingredients :
1/2lb flat rice noodles
2 cups bean sprouts
2 stalks green onion
2tbsp chopped garlic
2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp fish sauce

1/2lb white fish fillet*
1tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp cornflour

To Do:
1. Marinade fish with fish sauce and cornflour.
2. Heat oil and saute garlic.
3. Add beansprouts and green onion.
4. When almost tender, add rice noodles.
5. Set aside in pan, cook fish.
6. Combine well. Serve hot.

Triple Citrus Cheesecake

Perfect with morning coffee on a bright summer morning.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 stick butter, melted

8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp AP Flour
1 egg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lim zest

To Do:
1. Combine cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press firmly to the bottom of pan.
2. Bake at 325F for 10min.
3. Cream cheese and sugar.
4. Add Flour.
5. Add egg.
6. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over crust.
7. Bake at 350F for 40min, or until center is almost set.
8. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Cantaloupe Sago

I used canteloupe instead of honeydew. Somehow I think alot of folks get honeydew, cantaloupe or rockmelons mixed up. Back home, it’s always called “Honeydew Sago” regardless if it was orange colored or green.

Ingredients :
1 medium sized cantaloupe
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup syrup*
1 cup sago pearls

To Do :
1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add sago.
2. Remove when translucent. Run under cold water. Set aside.
3. Puree half the cantaloupe, set aside.
4. Cube finely, or use a melon baller on the other half of the melon. Combine with puree.
5. Add coconut milk, milk, sago and syrup.
6. Serve well chilled.

* To make syrup, dissolve 2/3 cup sugar in 1 cup water. Moderate according to preference.

Simple Sponge Cake

My mom calls this the “4-4-4-4 Sponge Cake”.

Ingredients :
4 eggs
4oz sugar
1tsp ovallett
4oz AP flour
1tsp baking powder
4oz butter, melted
1tsp vanilla

To Do:
1. Beat eggs, sugar and ovallett until it is white and creamy; doubling in size.
2. Sift flour and baking powder.
3. Fold into egg mixture.
4. Stir in butter and vanilla.
5. Pour into baking tin* .
6. Bake at 350F for 40min or until golden.

* I used a muffin tin, and baked for 20min.

Grilled Pork with Pasta

Ingredients :

2lbs pork chops
1tbsp dark sauce
1tbsp soya sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce

2cups of your favorite pasta – cooked al dente
2cups baby spinach
1/3lbs minced pork
1tbsp garlic
1tbsp olive oil
2tbsp oyster sauce

lime quarters

To Do:
1. Marinade pork chops with sauces, leave overnight
2. Grill over the barbeque, 4mins on each side.
3. Heat olive oil, saute garlic till fragrant.
4. Add minced pork, fry till golden brown.
5. Add pasta, spinach and oyster sauce. Combine well.
6. Assemble and serve hot.