Black sesame bread recipe

I have been on a tangzhong bread making frenzy over the last few months and had gone through more than 15kg of bread flour to date. 

For those unfamiliar, tangzhong is a method used to make those soft, fluffy buns commonly found at Asian bakeries. A gelatinised started dough is added with milk to the dry ingredients to create this texture. 

I have been experimenting with flavours to compliment this type of dough and played around with the idea of a black sesame filling. I may have gone overboard with my filling, a tendency of mine, and will (try) resolve to using less in the future.

I do like black sesame and didn’t mind the extra filling although it was a tad messy haha.

Ingredients for black sesame paste:

200g roasted black sesame seeds (has to be roasted for a more robust flavour)
100g butter
A pinch of salt

Grind the black sesame seeds into a semi-paste and mix in with the butter and salt. One may add sugar but I prefer it as a savoury spread.
 

As there are quite a few reliable tangzhong bread recipes online, I won’t post any recipes for the dough here.
 

Fish wraps recipe

One of the easiest meals I have made up and also one of the more nutritious ones in my books. Fish fillets can be cooked in the oven for convenience and if so, would probably take 10 to 15 minutes depending on the oven's temperature settings.

Literally just made this a couple of hours ago and am thinking of remaking it again next week or so.

Ingredients
500g whiting fillets (or any other type)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Massage paprika, tarragon, salt and pepper onto the fish fillets.
2. Pan fry fish fillets and set aside

Coleslaw mix:
200g A mix of green and purple cabbage
100g shredded carrots
250g cherry tomatoes
2 avocados
Juice of half a lime

1. Toss the salad together with lime juice, making sure to have the veggies evenly distributed.

The finale:
Missoni wraps

1. Place cooked fish fillets in the middle of the wrap and top with a good serve (about 4-5 tablespoons of salad) on top of it.
2. Wrap fish and salad mix firmly and serve warm.

Absolutely loved this easy to make dish and it is extremely versatile because you can add whatever veggies you prefer or even marinade the fish in cayenne pepper or stronger herbs like thyme. I like the idea of having something refreshing like lime juice as the salad dressing as it's also not oily.

P.s: If you plan on using oily fish like salmon or rainbow trout, use less oil when pan frying them.

Kung pao chicken recipe

As always, time seems to be slipping away (more so on the weekends) and with only a few weeks to go, I am trying my best to adhere to a strict diet. That way I can have a feast overseas without excessively worrying about weight gain.

A quick dinner stir fry using basic ingredients and one that is reminds me of Chinese takeaway fare. Slightly spicy, crunchy and most importantly, yummy. Do try this out and give me some feedback.

Ingredients:
300g Chicken thigh fillets, roughly chopped and marinated in soy sauce, shaoxing wine and pepper
Roughly 50g dried chillies
3/4 cup peanuts
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp ginger
2 spring onion stalks
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
Sugar and salt to taste

1. Fry garlic, ginger and dried chillies over medium heat before tossing in chicken fillets.
2. Cook chicken fillets thoroughly, add soy sauce, white vinegar and hoisin sauce.
3. Add about 30ml (or just enough water) so that the sauce can be easily mixed with the chicken fillets.
4. Toss in peanuts and give the mix a quick 2 minute stir fry before adding the spring onions.
5. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice.

Thai beef salad cold rolls recipe

Of late, I have been scrolling through Instagram in search for cooking/ recipe ideas that are relatively simple to prepare and equally delicious. One of the videos that I have bookmarked was on preparing Thai beef salad and despite not having a whole piece of beef flank, I managed to replace it with beef strips which sped up the cooking process even more.

The entire cooking process took around 5 minutes whilst the preparation may have taken 10 minutes and assembling was approximately 15 minutes. A fun project to do with kids or even as a simple entree for guests.

Ingredients:

300g thin beef slices

2 shallots

A handful of coriander, chopped

A handful of mint, chopped

2 stalks of spring onions

Lettuce leaves

2 carrots, shredded

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp of dry chilli flakes (more if you prefer it spicy)

1/2 tsp sugar

Juice of 1/2 lime

Rice paper rolls

1. Heat a pan with 1 tsp of oil on medium to high heat and give beef slices a quick fry. This shouldn't take long as we are using beef slices.

2. While beef slices are still hot, quickly mix them with sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, herbs and shallots. Mix thoroughly and adjust taste to liking.

3. Bring a pot of water to boil and when ready, dip dried rice paper roll in it and quickly transfer the softened rice paper roll on a flat plate.

4. Place lettuce leaves on first before layering with shredded carrots, cucumber and beef pieces before wrapping.

5. Serve warm.

Hainanese chicken rice sauce recipes

I have attempted to make Hainanese chicken rice many times before and with every trial, I seem to be getting closer to unlocking the secret of making THE ultimate homemade version. The chilli and spring onion/ginger sauce in this recipe is spot on whilst the rice is a good alternative to the oilier version served at restaurants.

Have still yet to master the cooking the chicken to perfection and until then, I shall not publish a recipe. For those unfamiliar, the chicken can be easily prepared by simmering it for about 10 minutes in gently bubbling chicken broth before leaving it for an extra 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Cooked chicken is then plunged into an ice bath and heavily lashed with a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil for that glistening appeal.

The size of the chicken does matter when cooking and so does the temperature. You may cheat a little with bland tasting chicken broth but stuffing the chicken with ginger, garlic and pandan leaves is essential for that extra bit of fragrant aroma coming from the chicken meat. Am still experimenting with the poaching element of this dish!

Chilli dipping sauce recipe:
90g red chillies
15g garlic
40g ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
10ml of chicken broth
Juice from half a lime

1. Mince all the ingredients together before adding salt, sugar, chicken broth and lime juice. Adjust taste to your preference.

Personally, I like my dipping sauce to be less diluted than the ones you get from the hawker stalls. However, you can water this sauce down by adding more stock and adjusting to taste accordingly.


Spring onion and ginger oil recipe:
100g ginger
4 stalks of spring onions
2 tbsp chicken oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

1. Mince the ginger and spring onion together before adding the oils and the seasoning. Adjust to taste.

Slow roasted spiced lamb recipe

About three weeks ago, we celebrated Easter. Whilst not the most festive event of the year for the bunch of us due to minor misunderstandings, we still managed to scrap up a decent feed worthy of the purpose of Easter.

Rather than spend hours slaying over a hot stove attempting a traditional roast served alongside salad and perhaps a bowl of roasted potatoes heavily perfumed with rosemary or Italian herbs, I have made do with what I have in the spice cabinet and carefully marinate every inch of the lamb with it.

No fancy dinners for us and instead, we ended up with a somewhat simplified version of it - burgers. Paired slivers of lamb with arugula leaves, slapped on a good serve of beetroot tzatziki and put all these in between two toasted pieces of burger buns.

Ingredients:
1.5kg leg of lamb
3/4 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
About 5 pieces of dried bay leaves
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ginger powder
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup of brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
A drizzle of sherry vinegar
A drizzle of olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

1. Mix all the spices along with the fluid ingredients prior to marinating the lamb with it. Make a few thin incisions along the lamb meat as this allows more contact between the marinade and meat.
2. Slow roast for about 5 to 6 hours at 170C. Use aluminium foil to wrap the meat with as this prevents it from drying in the oven.
3. Serve warm.

Tips:
Goes well in sandwiches but also delicious when paired with pasta or if used as a pie filling. Did have leftover juices in the pan to which, I used it to coat the leftover meat with.

Vietnamese caramel pork recipe

This year, I intend on going back to my old routine of publishing at least two recipe posts in a fortnight. I have been cooking a lot at home lately but sadly, I have lost interest in proper food photography and have drawn myself into the habit of snapping pictures with my iphone.

And without further delay (well, a three month delay actually), this would be my first recipe blog post for the year :) I have been experimenting on simple, one pot recipes due to my hectic schedule and this one from RecipeTinEats is such a simple, delicious one embodying all my favourite sensations aka sweet, salty and sticky. I have modified some of the ingredients slightly in order to use up what I have in the pantry haha.

As the pork skin looked like it would turn out rubbery if I let it cook in the pot, I sliced it off and made it into crackling pork skin. Simply place pork skin under a broiler, set at 170 to 180C.

Ingredients:
100g dark brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1kg pork shoulder, cubed
375ml coconut water
2 shallots, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place water and brown sugar in a pot over medium heat and stir until the sugar has melted and appears to be caramelizing.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring quickly and ensuring to evenly coat every cube of pork. Lower heat until it appears to be simmering gently.
3. Allow to simmer for 1 hour or until the sauce appears to have thickened, without the pot cover, stirring every now and then.
4. Ensure the sauce thickens throughout the cooking process as this would give you that lovely caramelized, sticky sensation at the end.
5. Serve with rice, garnished with chopped chilli or spring onions :)

Kimchi fried rice recipe

The first Korean dish I have learnt to prepare (aside from instant noodles) and one that uses any leftovers in the fridge too.

Ingredients:
Leftover fried rice
Kimchi, cut into bite sized pieces
Spam/ any leftover meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
Enoki mushroom (I had some leftovers in the fridge)
Eggs
Spring onions for decor

1. Saute kimchi with onion over medium heat for about 4 minutes before tossing in the meat and mushroom. Continue to saute for another 2 minutes or until mushrooms and meat appears to be cooked.
2. Add rice and stir well, ensuring that the rice has an even distribution of the other ingredients.
3. Prepare sunny side eggs and serve.

Fried beehoon recipe

One of the first few dishes I have made growing up and one of the few that I saw myself cooking at least once a month after school hours. Not the fanciest nor tastiest dish I have made but somewhat satisfying to concoct from a 12 year old's perspective.

Ingredients:
A packet of beehoon noodles, soaked until softened
A few cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp dried shrimps
Chicken thigh/ breast fillets, marinated in soy sauce overnight
Chinese cabbage, chopped into bite sized pieces

1. Saute garlic until fragrant before tossing in chicken and dried shrimps, further cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 a cup of chicken broth and incorporate chinese cabbage. Leave to cook until veggies are almost translucent in colour.
3. Toss in noodles and quickly add dark caramel soy sauce, kecap manis and pepper to taste. Gently stir noodles until it is evenly coated in the dark sauce and has an even distribution of chicken and cabbage.
4. Garnish with thinly/ thickly sliced egg omelette.

Orange chicken recipe

Another day in the kitchen but more importantly, another way to try to improve on a recipe:) This is a simple recipe that is popular at most Chinese restaurants and is secretly very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp garlic chilli sauce
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch

1. Cut chicken breast/ thigh fillets into slightly bigger than bite sized pieces, marinate overnight with soy sauce, pepper and chinese cooking wine.
2. Dust chicken pieces with plain flour and deep fry. Alternatively, you could coat them with panko crumbs and bake in an oven until done.
3. Cook the listed ingredients above in a saucepan over medium heat until the sauce is slightly thickened. This may take around 3-5 minutes. Add cornstarch and stir until the sauce is appropriately thickened.
4. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice. Feel free to sprinkle a bit of sesame seeds on them too, for aesthetic purposes;)

Spicy pork bulgogi and stirfry beef with gai lan recipe

Maintaining the experimental momentum and being clueless as to what to do with the remaining gochujang sitting in the fridge, I stumbled upon a spicy pork bulgogi recipe via Maangchi. Without further delay, I then found myself heading into the butcher, asking for a decent cut of pork neck to be sliced as thin as possible.

I have marinated the meat for a few days and have adjusted the proportion of each individual ingredient to my liking:)

Ingredients:
1 apple, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ginger
3 tbsp gochujang
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
A pinch of pepper
1kg pork neck, thinly sliced

1. Blitz all the above ingredients in a food processor until it appears to have sauce like consistency.
2. Mix with the wet ingredients and massage into the meat pieces. Allow to marinade for at least a day.
3. Fry the marinated pork in a pan until cooked, serve garnished with spring onions and a bowl of steamed rice.

On a separate note, have also made a simple stir fry beef with gai lan dish, prepared in 15 minutes:)

Ingredients:
Rump beef, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of ginger minced
Gai lan, cut into easy to eat sized and lightly blanched
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce

1. Quickly fry beef for about 30 seconds on medium heat and set aside.
2. Fry garlic and ginger until it is golden brown in colour before tossing in beef pieces.
3. Add oyster and soy sauce and continue to stir for about a minute before tossing in gai lan.
4. Allow an additional 2 minutes of cooking time before serving with steamed rice.

Caramelized apple and pork sausage rolls and beef bourguignon pies recipe

I used to be such a diligent baker/cook, always refuting the slightest chance of using ready made ingredients. Having said that, this all changed over the last year as I slowly spend less time in the kitchen and more time completing other tasks.

Having bought myself a packet of puff pastry sheets from the frozen aisle, it did not take long until I give in to buying shortcut pastry sheets, all for the enjoyment of close family and friends to sink their teeth into.

Inspired by Gourmet Traveller's bangalow pork and caramelized apples sausage rolls recipe, I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit what I had in the pantry and although I can only imagine what GT's version is like, I wouldn't mind giving this recipe another go:)

Caramelized Apple and Pork Sausage Rolls

Ingredients:
Puff pastry
2 pink lady apples, chopped into the smallest size possible
Handful of sage, roughly chopped
Handful of thyme
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3 golden shallots, finely minced
500g minced pork
200g minced veal
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter
Olive oil

1. Saute the garlic and shallots with olive oil until they are golden in colour.
2. Add chopped apples, sage and thyme and allow to cook for about 7-10 minutes or until apples have softened.
3. If the mixture appears to be dry, toss in two small cubes of butter. Season to taste, tossing in 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to taste if the flavours are a bit dull.
4. Allow cooked apple mixture to cool before mixing in with the minced meat.
5. Roll puff pastry out, align filling mixture in one corner and tightly roll it together.
6. Cut into desired lengths and brush with egg wash.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes or until cooked.
8. Best served with tomato chutney!

On another note, I was game enough to attempt making a bourguignon pie which heavily reminded me of my days traversing around France, sampling tasty treats all throughout the journey. Again, my own interpretation of an original recipe using available products.

Beef Bourguignon Pies

Ingredients for bourguignon beef:
Half a bottle of good quality, drinkable shiraz
600g of beef casserole/shin meat (whichever you can find from the butcher)
Maple flavoured bacon, chopped into small pieces
Thyme
200g button mushrooms
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup of chicken stock
2 tbsp flour
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Shortcrust pastry

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and quickly brown the beef on all sides. Ensure beef pieces are cut into, preferrably, 1cmx1cm or bite sized pieces, a tedious but rewarding process. Set beef aside, evenly coating them with flour.
2. Melt a small knob of butter again and saute garlic and onions until they are golden in colour before adding in the bacon pieces. Cook the bacon until they are almost crispy in consistency before adding in chopped button mushrooms and thyme. Allow to simmer for a good 10 minutes before seasoning adequately.
3. Add the above mixture to the beef. Deglaze cooking pan with the wine and allow to bubble for a few minutes before incorporating it with the beef mixture in a slow cooker.
4. Add chicken stock and allow to slow cook for a good 6 hours (best to leave overnight).
5. Roll out pastry sheets into pie tins and puncture a few holes at the bottom.
6. Fill pie cups with the meat filling and cover with pastry sheet. Using leftover pastry pieces, carve leaves or whatever shapes you want and place decoratively on the pies.
7. Use a fork to poke holes into the pie and brush with egg wash.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes or until done.

Korean popcorn chicken recipe

Taught by a Korean friend many moons ago, I picked up a few tips and tricks for cooking simple Korean dishes and have made a mental note that gochujang is utmost essential is just about every single dish.

After flipping through a few pages of Korean Bapsang's page, I stumbled upon this recipe and had a strong urge test it out myself. Very easy and super delish:)

Ingredients:
2 pieces of chicken thigh fillets, sliced into bite sized pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp mirin
1/2 cup corn flour
Oil for deep frying

1. Marinate chicken overnight with the above ingredients, minus the oil and corn flour.
2. Heat oil, ready for deep frying. Evenly coat chicken pieces with corn flour and fry until cooked.
3. Set aside.

Sauce ingredients:
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp gochujang
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
Pepper
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish

3. Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and pour into a flat pan. Allow to slightly thicken, maybe 1-2 minutes, before tossing in cooked chicken pieces.
4. Garnish with roasted peanuts

June-July: Food hauls and lunch boxes

Here are snippets from what's been happening from June to July for yours truly, in no particular order as usual:)

Best hair tie colour combination from H&M

Made strawberry scroll buns and they were delicious after coming out from the oven. Eventually became tougher as the days go by although homemade strawberry jam tasted 10x better than store bought versions.

Usual readings with a cup of tea

Craving for something sinful and indulged in this double coated strawberry magnum ice cream. So good and bad at the same time.

The sister wanted to trial a few sweet treats. Verdict? Raspberry cheesecake kit kat was ok, strawberry wafers were decent and Arnott's lemon crips were the bomb as usual.

Half priced Dove body wash - a different flavour each day.

Homebrand apple pie was err.... a bit flimsy and lacked body, in my opinion, although a cheap option if you are not looking at getting overly attached to any desserts but still need your weekly/ monthly sugar fix.

How would Uniqlo's ultra warm heat tech fare I wonder. A few more weeks before winter ends to try them out!

Bought this purely for its nice maroon shade and that it was on offer. Bonus points for extra fine merino wool quality too.

Baker's delight coffee and date loaf was surprisingly good. I like a bit of coffee scent to wake me up in the morning and this does the trick for me.

My second pair of Asics (first pair was too worn out and had long been discarded). Was initially a little hesitant as it was not on special but after running in them, I daresay their gel cushions reign supreme compared to other brands.

Homemade caramel slice - one of the best ones I have tasted although was a little runnier than what I liked it to be. Was buzzing on a sugar high after I finished one piece.

The start of my lunch box series for those wanting to eat healthier and reduce overspending on meals. Recipes can be found by clicking on the recipe tab on the right side of this page.

Sweet and sour pork balls and braised fish with tofu and vegetables. Loaded with vegetables.

Korean spicy chicken with crushed nuts and braised daikon with minced pork and shittake mushrooms.

Another grateful customer bought me a box of chocolates as a token of gratitude for helping her to certify her documents.

Kung pao chicken and orange chicken.

Oyakodon using leftover chicken and vegetables.

Another massive junk food haul. Maryland chocolate chip cookies were a little too dry and hard for my liking. Green's version fared a little better but by a small margin and had brownie points for a tantalizing orange aroma. Wagon wheels still take the cake home in my books as it's not overly sweet and was balanced in terms of strawberry jam, marshmallow and chocolate. Cadbury's mini rolls were surprisingly good and difficult to stop at just one bite.

WL's mum's homemade curry puffs were one of the better ones I have had and also the healthiest ones.

Apricot and date loaf from Baker's delight. I love how Baker's delight are always generous with their fruit portions although I did find the apricot bits a little sour.

Called in sick on my last week of work and made a banana cake with oat crumble as compensation.

Lost my favourite gym bottle at the gym and sadly, those plastic bottles crushed easily as I tend to chuck them in my bag. Bought a water bottle from Starbucks as not only was it much cheaper compared to other places but also had a pleasing pattern of Melbourne, a gentle reminder that I have finally settled myself well in this city:)

Wagon wheels are the best.

Post gym, covered in sweat and blood.

Pancake parlour's apple pie pancake was yummy, especially when it's been coated with a delectable butterscotch sauce.

Made the best pistachio and almond loaf cake and did not take any proper pictures with it using my camera. Will have to remake this again as it is truly delicious.