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Showing posts from April, 2025

Steamed Chicken With Cordyceps Flowers and Shitake Mushrooms (虫草花香菇蒸鸡)

Steam chicken is the easiest way of cooking with health benefits, and delicious flavor. Just simply marinate the bite sized pieces of chicken for minutes to obtain a basic flavor then steam for 20 to 25 minutes. That’s so simple. My husband loves steam food. This is due to the fact that steaming food is nutrient preservation, calorie and fat reduction. Additionally, it keeps the natural flavor to the maximum. Normally, I will add mushrooms, lily blossoms and black fungus for additional texture. For this recipe, I replace the lily blossoms with cordyceps flowers. It is a type of orange-yellow grass and it’s good for nourishing the lungs and kidneys, protecting the liver, nourishing skin and beauty, and improving immunity. It is extremely delicious when used to make soup or steam dishes! You don’t have to add water to the chicken, the marinade, chicken, and mushrooms release a broth-like mix of fluids that tastes amazing over rice. Are you drooling? This is an easy and delicious ...

Indulgence Cake With Chocolate Glaze

  Recently, I learned to bake another cake. This cake is baked especially for my mother-in-law – birthday cake. She loves chocolate cake, so I decided to bake this cake to indulge her. I once ate at a restaurant Secret Recipe. I tried to choose a cake for dessert after dinner.  It surprised me to discover that, out of all the cake varieties displayed in the cake display fridge, only this indulgence cake had three slices left. The remaining cake was either left untouched or only one or two slices were consumed. So, I thought this cake must be the signature cake of this restaurant. I decided to give it a go. Indulgence cake is an impressive looking cake. Four layers of moist chocolate cake that are stacked, one on top of another, with good quality dark chocolate and white chocolate mousse. The mousse ingredients are straightforward, egg-and gelatin-free that is significantly more convenient. When the cake is sliced, the layered pattern of Secret Recipe's cake is revealed, with c...

Super Easy Fish Soup with Pickled Mustard (简易酸菜鱼)

  If you are a fan of hot and sour soup, please give this Szechuan fish soup (酸菜鱼) a try. It is a classic Sichuan dish where the fish is thinly sliced and poached in a rich broth made from stock flavored with fish bone, peppers, ginger, garlic, and pickles. The first time I’m have it is from a Sichuan restaurant, and the first bite…goodness, it’s mega spicy with fire. The actual way of making this dish is to stir fry the fish bone to make the broth with the pickles, this way you may see that the pickles are attached with some fish fresh which took off from the bone during the stir fry process. For pickles mustard, there are two types of pickled in the market. One is the salty type, and this is the sour type. In case, the sour type is not available, you might need to adjust the sour taste with vinegar. Pickled pepper is used in the original recipe to add spice.   However, it isn't accessible where I live.   I therefore substitute dried chilies for it. Generally, p...

Fried Carrot Cake (Chai Tow Kway)

  Everyone is familiar with steam carrot cake. Have you ever tried fried carrot  cakes or Chai Tow Kway?  Chai Tow Kway is a common dim sum of Teochew cuisine. It is also popular in Singapore and Malaysia. I still remember that my parents used to take me to an open night market under an overhead bridge when I was a little child. And this popular stall is known for long queues. The stall owner began selling around 5:30 p.m. It was sold out when we arrived at around 7:00 p.m. A hawker stall will ask you whether you want black or white chai tow kway when you order it.  The black version has a sweeter black sauce while the White version has chili. My version is using salty preserved radish which help to give the "kway" a little bit of salty flavor and crunch.  I first sauté the garlic and preserved radish until fragrant, add the fried carrot cake, drizzle with soy sauce, and stir-fry until the aroma of preserved radish is released.  I then add the eggs, spring ...

Longevity Peach Ang Ku Kueh (寿桃红龟糕)

Among Nyonya pastries, red tortoise cake is a very common and popular Nyonya pastry. The red tortoise cake also names as Ang Ku Kueh. Because red tortoise cake represents blessing, honor and longevity, it is a must-have offering during worship services by the Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore, especially during the birthday of the Jade Emperor on the ninth day of the first lunar month and the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This year is my mother-in-law’s 73rd birthday. The kitchen is where I get creative. Since some people make longevity peaches into birthday buns, I can also make birthday buns into a longevity Ang Ku Kueh peach for her birthday. For this recipe, I am making my own mung bean paste, it really paired well with this longevity peach Ang Ku Kueh. You may use other fillings like red beans paste, peanuts, custard or even salty filling with black-eyed peas or turnip This longevity Ang Ku Kueh does not need a mould. All you need is a littl...