I Love. I Cook. I Bake.

My last submission for this month Asian Food Fest - Taiwan
Saw this at Peng's Kitchen and immediately I gave it a try. Very satisfied with the result, tasty hearty dish eaten with rice or on its own :)

1. For the broth, mix everything in a pot and bring to boil
2. Marinate minced pork with grated ginger, pepper, sugar, sesame oil, salt and soya sauce
3. Stir in potato starch, spring onion and parsley, stir til sticky. Stir in chopped mushroom. Set aside for at least 30mins
4. Combine fish and squid paste, set aside
5. Cut tofu in quarters. Deep fry til golden brown. Drain and cool completely
6. Slit at the cut side and scoop out some of the tofu to make a pocket
7. Fill in pocket with marinated meat. Put a thick layer of fish paste mixture to seal the cut side completely. Do the same for all the fried tofu
8. Cook the stuffed tofu into the boiling broth for 10mins over medium heat til well cooked
9. Scoop out tofu and place onto serving bowl. Pour over the broth. Sprinkle some spring onion and fried onion. Enjoy! :)

1. Like my Facebook page HERE
2. Leave a comment below: "I want to win Lee Kum Kee hamper!" with your name & email address

My blog was 3 years 2 days ago! :))
It was 27 August 2010 when I started this blog. Time flies, huh? :)
This time, courtesy of Zespri, I have 5 sets of Zespri premiums as giveaways





This giveaway is open for those reside in Singapore only
My apology for the restriction. The bag is not too bad, I still can compress it, but the umbrella will be a problem, it's bulky and quite heavy...


Okay, now how to participate...
1. Those who haven't followed my blog, please click follow
2. Leave a comment in this posting, just shout "I love Zespri (green/yellow/both green and yellow kiwis!" ---> Choose one from the three options, example: "I love yellow kiwis!"

And that's it!
The giveaway will open from 29 August which is today and the last day will be 5 September
To pick the winners, I am now trying to use Random.org (wish me luck for this, I'm a computer idiot - anybody want to teach me? LOL)
In any case I can't figure out how it works, my kids would be the judges :P
I'll announce the 5 winners about 3 days after closing date :)


Okay, now the bake of the day :)
Aren't they marvellous? They are for you, chocolate lovers!





These cookies are truly chocolate addicts' dream come true
It's super loaded with chocolate I don't think anymore chocolate can be added!
Absolutely heavenly! And just like what suggested by Nigella, I can't agree more, these are a must for broken hearted souls
Well, you do not have to have your heart broken to enjoy these cookies :)
And I tell you, this is seriously one of the best chocolate chips cookies I've ever eaten
Chewy chocolaty, just delicious!

Recipe is from HERE

What you need:
(makes 33 cookies @2tbsp dough)

150g dark chocolate (I used Cadbury 70%)
125g plain flour (original recipe 150g)
2 tbsp corn flour (original recipe never used this)
30g cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
1 tsp baking powder (I used double acting)
1/2 tsp salt
125g soft butter
90g light brown sugar
50g white fine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cold egg
350g semi sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170degC.
2. melt dark chocolate with microwave, set aside
3. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a bowl
4. Beat butter and sugar til just blended. Add in melted chocolate and mix together
5. Beat in vanilla extract and cold egg, mix
6. Add in dry ingredients gradually. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips
7. Place each tablespoon (mine is 2 tbsp. each) of batter on a lined baking sheet (about 5cm apart) Do not flatten them (Actually I flattened them slightly hence the flatter shapes)
8. Bake for 15 minutes until the sides of the cookies are lightly firm to the touch. Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to harden as they cool

Note:
In this recipe, I reduced the plain flour and replaced with corn flour to achieve more chewy texture (inspired by Jasline from Foodie Baker)
We love chewy chocolate chips cookies :)



I'm submitting this post to Cook Like A Star, organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Anuja from Simple Baking where this month guest chef is Nigella Lawson

My last submission for Malaysian Food Fest, Melaka month hosted by Cindy of yummylittlecooks

Before that, let me share this super delicious tasty Hainanese Pork Chop
We did not need anything else to eat this dish, just a bowl (or more) of hot fluffy rice


Very delicious pork chop, crusty on the outside, soft and juicy in the inside


I love the sauce, sweet and tangy, such a perfect combination with the pork chop

1. I halved each pork loin, lightly pat each piece with meat mallet to tenderise the pork
2. Marinate with seasoning for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator
3. Remove marinated pork chop, coat each piece of pork chop evenly with saltine crackers crumbs
4. Heat oil on a frying pan over medium heat and deep fry pork chop til golden brown, drain well

1. Saute the sliced onion and garlic with 1/2 tbsp of oil til brown, add in green peas and half of the tomato wedges and continue to cook for 1 minute approx
2. Add in chicken stock, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, mix well
3. Add in the remaining of the tomato wedges, and pineapple cubes and bring to boil
4. Adjust the taste, pour diluted cornflour while stirring continuously, drizzle dark soya sauce while stirring fast
5. Remove from heat, pour sauce over prepared pork chop and serve immediately
 

1. Bring to a boil coconut milk mixture and pandan leaves in a large pot
2. Add in sago, sugar, palm sugar, salt
3. Stir til sago is transparent
4. Add in banana, stir well
5. Let boil and off heat

I have been really interested in trying this recipe, it's really a good decision
So easy to make, and it turned out to be a moist and tasted really good

One mistake I did, I only took pictures the day after, taken out from the fridge, the chocolate frosting was wet with condensation and I dabbed it with tissue paper, hence the pattern on top LOL

I made one recipe, and out of curiousity, I baked half with muffin tray, and steamed half with 20cm round pan
The result was totally different

The baked ones tasted like soft, quite fluffy and moist cake


The steamed one tasted more like a dense, rich, chocolaty yet soft pudding cake



I and my brother prefer the baked one, and the kids, too. DH and my sister, also my mum love the steamed one
So, it's good. Everybody gets a fair share :)

Recipe is from the book The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge

What you need:
(I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup)

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 190 degC
2. Line muffin tray with cupcake liners
3. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a blender. Blend on medium speed covered
4. Add in water, oil, egg and vanilla. Cover and blenf on medium high speed til smooth and well belnded, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides
5. Pour into muffin cups 2/3 high, bake on medium rack for 20 minutes or til tester skewer comes out clean, let cool
6. (For steaming, preheat steamer and pour batter in a lined round pan and steam over medium heat for 45 minutes til tester skewer comes out clean, let cool)

Fudgy frosting:
(I reduced the sweetener quite a bit cos I used semi sweet chocolate instead)
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
8tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup light corn syrup
3tbsp condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. Melt together chocolate chips and unsalted butter (double boiled or in microwave)
2. Add in condensed milk, corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Whisk til well blended. It will thicken as it cools
3. After completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap til ready to use

When the cake is completely cooled, spread a dollop of the frosting on top

Btw, today is my second blog anniversary! :)



Time flies, really!
So far, I am still so glad that I started blogging two years back, one of the best decision I ever made!
I got to know many new friends with the same passion, got to experience cooking and baking things I never thought I would do too!
Blogging has become one of my hobby and I'm still hooked til now, more than ever!

I'm a self taught cook and baker at home which never attended even one cooking and/or baking class, blogging has given me priceless knowledge for me to improve even more :)
Not only that, I (try) to pick up skills in taking snaps of my food by looking at georgeous pictures I always find in all blogs
I learnt too that even though the subject is our passion - food, but basically blogging brings out our very own character in our writing, which I enjoy very much
And for those things, many thanks to you all, my dearest friends :)

This time, I have some giveaways to share my joy for blogging
I will reveal in my post tomorrow okie... Need to zzzz now, it's 12.30am now :)
Good night!

Ok, now my unpacking is done, nomore sick family member, but for the past one week was still busy - a big group of relatives came in town and was out whole day for almost the whole week - fun and tiring at the same time :P
Been absent from blogging world for few weeks - feel like a lifetime! I guess now I can get back on track :)

Ok, this is one dish I've made quite sometime back - yummy homemade chicken balls - it's a keeper :)

½ cup (125ml) icy cold water
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tbsp sugar
½ tbsp oil
2 tbsp cornflour
1¼ tsp baking powder
In a separate cup, mix together the remaining water, fish sauce, salt, sugar, oil, cornflour and baking powder
Remove the chicken paste from the food processor and put in a big bowl. Pour the liquid mix to the paste and stir well slowly until the liquid is absorbed into the paste (use either your hand or a fork)
For the taste test...microwave or boil a teaspoon of the paste. Season to taste with more salt or sugar
Cover bowl with clingwrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes
Boil a pot of water. Once the water has boiled, remove the pot from the heat
Add pepper to the paste and stir to combine. Scoop the paste onto your wet hand. Push the paste through your thumb and 2nd finger by making a fist. Use a wet spoon to scoop and drop it into the hot water. To prevent the paste from sticking to your hand and spoon, wet the spoon and hand with water
Continue until the chicken balls form a layer in the water. Now turn on the heat but do not let it boil. Just simmer slowly without bubble....if not your chicken balls will not have 'bounce'
Fill a big basin with icy cold water. When the chicken balls starts to float, leave for a few more seconds
After the chicken balls have cooled, use as required or freeze