Vietnamese chicken salad.

I looked up the recipe for a Vietnamese salad because I want something fresh and healthy after eating all the creamy stuff during the week alone at home. I used some leftover roast chicken for this salad.

Vietnamese chicken salad

4 bird's eye chiles, chopped (use less and seeded if you want less heat)
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 & 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 & 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 & 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, finely sliced
8 ounces white cabbage, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
7 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
A handful of Vietnamese mint leaves, shredded

1. In a bowl, combine the chiles, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, oil and onion. Stir with a spoon and set aside for half an hour or so.
2. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, chicken breast, coriander leaves and Vietnamese mint leaves. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss to combine. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Dakgangjeong

Dakgangjeong

600g chicken wings and drummets, washed and drained
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/3 cup potato starch
Oil for deep frying
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1. Soak the chicken pieces in milk for two hours in the fridge.
2. Drain thoroughly and remove any visible fat.
3. Rub 1 tsp of minced ginger and 1 tsp of minced garlic into the chicken and let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Coat the chicken with potato starch.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan until about 170 degrees C, and drop the chicken pieces one at a time. Fry them in two batches.
6. When you are done frying the chicken pieces, deep fry them for the second time. You can do the second frying in one batch.
7. In a pan, add all the ingredients for the sauce and stir well. When it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until it thickens slightly. Add the chicken and stir well until the chicken are well coated in the sauce.

Recipe taken from Korean Bapsang

Tiramisu

Tiramisu

24 pieces Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers)
250g cream cheese
200ml whipping cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
cocoa powder

1. Mix the coffee granules with hot water. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the icing sugar, cream cheese and whipping cream until it's light and airy.
3. Dunk the savoiardi in the coffee for a few seconds and arrange them in a bowl.
4. Spread half of the cream cheese and whipping cream mixture on top and continue to arrange the rest of dunked savoiardi.
5. Spread the rest of the cream mixture and use cling film to cover the bowl.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
7. Sift cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu before serving.

Kongnamul muchim

I have this vision of myself eating a huge bowl of bibimbap with rice mixed with gochujang (red pepper paste) and beansprouts hanging by my spoon. The dish is easy and don't require anything special.

Kongnamul muchim (Korean Seasoned Bean Sprouts)

12 oz. soybean sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
1 scallion, chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1. Rinse the sprouts twice in cold water. Discard rotten sprouts and husks. Drain.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add sprouts to the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
3. Immediately lower the heat. Do not open the lid while cooking, the sprouts will smell and taste fishy.
4. Heat 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Add garlic, fish sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, scallion and dried chilli flakes. Mix well.
6. Serve warm or chilled.

Original recipe shared by chow divine.

Dak galbi

Dak galbi

500g whole chicken leg
2 tbsp soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/4 cup gochujang
1/3 cup gochugaru
1/2 cup water
1/4 of a small cabbage, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and sliced into bite size pieces
1 small carrot, sliced
2 green chilli pepper, sliced
5 stalks spring onions, cut into 5 cm pieces

1. Rinse the chicken in cold water and cut into bite size pieces. Mix with one tbsp of soy sauce. Set aside.
2. Combine garlic, ginger, gochujang, gochugaru, 1 tbsp soy sauce and water in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Prepare a large, shallow and wide pan. Spread the cabbage on the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, green chilli pepper, carrot and sweet potato.
4. Put the marinated chicken on top of the vegetables and add the sauce on top.
5. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir with a wooden sauce to mix evenly.
6. Lower the heat to medium and cover. Cook for another 20 minutes until it's done. Stir occasionally. Serve.

Original recipe shared by Maangchi.

Bibimbap

I am very attached to bibimbap and samgyetang, and I need to eat them every once in a while. Typing this made me want to go and get a bowl of samgyetang. Usually I would just head out and buy them. But since I had gochujang, I figured I'd make the bibimbap myself.

Bibimbap

1 cup beansprouts
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks (I didn't put in)
1-1/2 cup spinach, cleaned
1 zucchini, sliced into thin strips
100g mushrooms, sliced
Green, yellow, and red bell peppers, cut into strips
Korean seasoned seaweed, shredded (I didn't put in)
Boiled gosari /Fern brakes (I didn't put in)
Cucumber, cut half lengthwise and sliced thinly crosswise (I didn't put in)
Cooked rice
Eggs, over easy
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
Gochugaru/Korean chilli pepper flakes
Salt
Soy sauce

Gochujang sauce:
1/4 cup gochujang
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 or 2 tsp water to thin out the sauce

1. Rinse the beansprouts three times and put them in a pot with a lid. Cook the for 15 minutes. Mix with 1 clove minced garlic, gochugaru, sesame oil and salt.
2. Put spinach in a pot of boiling water and stir for a minute. Then, rinse in cold water for a few times and squeeze to drain excess water. Season with 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tsp of soy sauce and sesame oil.
3. Sprinkle the zucchini strips with salt and leave them for a few minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid and saute them in a pan over high heat until they become translucent.
4. Cut the gosari into 5-7 cm long pieces and season with 1 tbsp soy sauce and sesame oil.
5. Boil the mushrooms until cooked and drain.
6. Sprinkle salt on the cucumber slices and set aside for a few minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid and mix with 1 clove minced garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
7. Saute carrot, and bell peppers separately with dash of salt.
8. Gochujang sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
9. Put rice into a bowl, add the assorted vegetables, seaweed, egg and gochujang sauce on top of the rice. Mix well before eating.

Original recipe shared by Maangchi, Sue, and Hyosun Ro.

Nasi impit goreng

Nasi impit is rice cake, usually eaten with gravy like rendang (spicy meat dish), kuah kacang (peanut sauce) or kuah lodeh (vegetables cooked in coconut milk). But today I felt like frying them.

Nasi impit goreng

1/2 large onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
10 dried chillies, soaked in hot water and drained
1 packet of instant ketupat nasi, boiled and cooled
1 tbsp dried anchovies, washed
1 egg
1 tomato, cubed
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt to taste
Small bunch of parsley, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp water

1. Cut the instant rice cakes into cubes. Set aside. Heat oil in a pan in medium-high heat.
2. In a blender, blend the onion, garlic and soaked dried chillies to make a paste.
3. Saute the paste in the pan until the oil separates. Increase the heat to high.
4. Add the tomato sauce, soy sauce and water. Stir to combine.
5. Add the anchovies, tomato and rice cakes.
6. Crack the egg in the pan and stir everything together. Once the egg is cooked, turn of the heat.
7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Soft pumpkin bread with brown sugar streusel crust

I remembered the soft and airy pumpkin loaf with pepita crust I had from Patisfrance. Then I thought it'd be so nice to eat pumpkin bread again. But I am not THAT ambitious to go and search hi and lo for the exact same bread recipe. So this soft pumpkin bread/cake would do. I love the streusel crust, and picked up every single crumb off the plate.

Soft pumpkin bread with brown sugar streusel crust

Streusel crust:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
about 1/4 all purpose flour, plus additional if needed

Bread:
3/4 pumpkin puree
3/4 light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain yoghurt, preferably at room temperature
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger, grated
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (or a 12-cup muffin tin). Set aside.
2.  Streusel crust - In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup of flour and toss with fork until mixture combines and clumps form. If the streusel seems very moist and paste-like, add more flour as needed until it dry out. Set aside.

Add more flour to the streusel to dry it out. 

 
3. Bread - In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, yoghurt, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Stir in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Don't overmix.
5. Turn batter out into prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the streusel crust over the top.

6. Bake for about 40 to 44 minutes (in a pan) or 15 to 20 minutes (in muffin tin), until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow bread to cool in pan, on top of a wire rack, for at least 30 minutes before turning out on to the rack to finish cooling completely. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Original recipe by Averie

Remarks: It tastes so good and very moist.

Larb Gai

This dish has become one of my favorites.

Larb Gai

400g ground chicken
2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp glutinous rice
2 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp ground dried red pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

1. Set a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice and stir occasionally to make sure the rice are evenly toasted. Wait until they turn medium brown, around 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. Turn the toasted rice into powder using pestle and mortar or grinder.

2. In another skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken until cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, take the skillet off the heat and add shallots in. Toss to wilt the shallots.

3. Add in the fish sauce and lime juice. Toss to combine.
4. Add the toasted rice powder. Toss.
5. Add the chilli powder and cilantro in. Serve.

Original recipe shared by she simmers.

Banana Carrot Cake

I referred to Mama Doroschs' Carrot Cake recipe, but it is too sweet for my liking so I reduced the sugar amount.

Banana Carrot Cake

Cake
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups grated carrots, packed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins

Icing
8oz cream cheese, well softened
4 tbsp butter, well softened
1-1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cake: Preheat the oven at 180 C with a rack in the middle position. Grease and flour a cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil. Add in the mashed bananas.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
5. Fold in the carrots, walnuts and raisins.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until a clean toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

7. Icing: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until well blended.

Original recipe shared by Kak Rima.

Pad Ka-Prao

Pad Ka-Prao

400 g ground chicken
7 large cloves garlic, peeled
7 bird's eye chillies
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 cup basil leaves

1. Pound the garlic, chillies and shallot into a coarse paste.
2. In a skillet, heat up the oil over medium-high heat. Add the paste in and fry until fragrant.
3. Add the ground chicken and break it into small pieces.
4. Add the fish sauce, light soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce.
5. Once the meat is cooked, add in the basil leaves before taking the skillet off the heat. Give it a couple of stirs to wilt the leaves.
6. Serve with rice and a crispy fried egg.

Original recipe shared by she simmers.

Hati masak ungkep

I love chicken liver the most, among all the chicken parts and I'm trying to cook something different than the usual liver in soy sauce or sambal. This is a Javanese style dish.

Hati masak ungkep

 400g chicken liver
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 green chilli
15 bird's eye chillies
1-1/2 inch ginger
1 inch turmeric
1 piece asam keping
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp sweet cumin powder
1 lemongrass, bruised
1 inch galangal, bruised
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cloves
1 tbsp palm sugar
Pinch of salt
Cooking oil
1 cup water

1. Parboil the chicken liver and set aside.

2. In a blender, make the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, green chilli and bird's eye chillies into paste.
3. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add cooking oil.
4. Saute the cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves. Add in the paste, lemongrass, galangal, coriander powder, sweet cumin powder and asam keping. Fry until the oil separates.
5. Add the liver and water. Put in more water if you want more gravy. Add the palm sugar and salt.
6. Let the liver cook through and the gravy thickens. Remove from heat.

Original recipe shared by K.Nor

Som tam

I made Som tam using the regular pestle and mortar we have at home, and I wish I could use the large version that would be perfect for making this dish.

Som tam (Green Papaya Salad)

6 ounces of green papaya, peeled and shredded
1 tomato, cut into small wedges
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/3 cup green beans
2 tbsp dried shrimp
2 Thai bird's eye chillies
Fresh lime juice
Thai fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Palm sugar

1. Using pestle and mortar, pound the garlic and chillies until they form a smooth paste.
2. Add the dried shrimp and pound until the pieces are broken up.
3. Add 2-3 teaspoons of palm sugar. Pound to a paste.
4. Add peanuts and lightly pound until they are broken to tiny pieces.
5. Add the green beans and pound until they split and lightly bruised.
6. Add papaya and tomato and pound on them. Pound until the papaya strands soften up a bit and the tomato crushed and release the juices.
7. Add a couple of teaspoons of fish sauce and a couple of teaspoons of lime juice. Use a large spoon to help flip things over and scrape down the sides of the mortar. Keep pounding and flipping for a few seconds.
8. Taste and add more lime juice, fish sauce or palm sugar as needed.

Original recipe shared by Leela.

Roasted Tomato Marinara Pasta Sauce

This is the kind of pasta sauce made from scratch that I would love any day. Simple ingredients and you don't really need to slave over the stove for hours.

Roasted Tomato Marinara Pasta Sauce

7 medium-size tomatoes
2 onions, peeled
1 red bell pepper
1-2 medium carrots
1 whole garlic bulb
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and carrots. Put them in a baking tray.

3. Wrap the garlic bulb in aluminum foil and place in the baking tray.
4. Sprinkle salt, and oregano over the vegetables, then drizzle them with oil.
5. Bake for 1 hour.
6. Remove from the oven and let them cook down for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the gooey garlic from the skin into a blender. Put the vegetables and juices in the blender, including the basil. Blend until smooth.

Original recipe by thevedge

Kimchi jeon

This is just something I made without really planning to. We always have kimchi in the refrigerator and I have some flour left from another dish, so kimchi jeon came to mind.

Kimchi jeon (Kimchi pancake)

1 cup cabbage kimchi
1/4 all purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp onion, diced
Water
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Drain the kimchi, reserving the juice. Measure the juice and add water to make 1/4 cup of liquid. Chop the kimchi coarsely.
2. In a bowl, mix together all purpose flour, rice flour, salt and the liquid. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add in the chopped kimchi and onion.
3. Heat the skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with oil. For each pancake, add 1/4 of the mixture to the skillet and spread it out with the back of a spoon.
4. Cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom is crispy and golden. Flip over and cook until the other side is cooked. Remove from skillet and drain on towels.
5. Serve with dipping sauce. I use the same dipping sauce as hobak jeon's sauce.

Original recipe shared by Emily.

Ara'yes

Ara'yes

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 small bunch fresh parsley
1 pound minced chicken
1 tomato, diced finely
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt
4 pieces pita bread, cut into quarters
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
2. Finely mince the onions, garlic and parsley. Combine and mix together in a large bowl and add in the chicken, tomato, garam masala and lime juice. Season with salt. Mix until well combined.
3. Arrange the pita quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Fill each quarter with 2 tbsp of the mixture, flattening it out so the filling is even.
4. Brush each quarter on both sides with a little olive oil. Sprinkle salt on top.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Pitas should be brown and crispy.

Original recipe by Aarti Sequeira.

Ara'yes served with grilled eggplant and pico de gallo.

Cinnamon rolls

Since Melaka doesn't have any Cinnabon outlet, I might as well make these myself. I have been meaning to for so long. But I didn't quite trust myself to get involve with yeast just yet. I was thinking of making it using a recipe that won't require yeast. But that wouldn't be the real deal, right. So, this is it. Ree Drummond's recipe yield a whole lot of cinnamon rolls, so let's use a small portion of that. Thanks to Kitchenmage.

Cinnamon rolls

1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour, divided
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp melted butter, for pans

 Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp brewed coffee

1. Heat the milk, vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat to just below a boil. Set aside to cool and warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
2. Add 2 cups of flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Place the dough in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3.To assemble the rolls, roll the dough into a large rectangle on a floured baking surface. The dough should be rolled very thin. To make the filling, pour the melted butter on the surface of the dough. Spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle the ground cinnamon and brown sugar over the butter.

 
4. Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is facing down.
5. With a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. Pour the melted butter into cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pan, be careful not to overcrowd. Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.

6. Preheat the oven to 190 C. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the counter top for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don't allow the rolls to become overly brown.

7. Frosting: Right before serving, top your cinnamon rolls with frosting. Mix the powdered sugar and coffee together until smooth and drizzle over rolls. You may replace the coffee with milk or cream.

Original recipe by Ree Drummond.

Remark: I am glad I made these, they are super soft. You can never stop putting them in your mouth, that is the only bad thing :p
The frosting is super sweet, so you could put in less sugar in the filling.

Corn ravioli in creamy sauce

I haven't reach the make-your-own-pasta time yet and if you can't really get the correct thickness for the pasta, the filling wouldn't cook properly. So, I was intent on looking for the ways to make my life easier AND get to eat ravioli at the same time. I found Guy's recipe and later I found out Ree Drummond also used the same way to make it.

Corn ravioli in creamy sauce

1 ear fresh sweet corn, shucked and removed from the cob
5 tbsp red bell pepper, minced
3 tbsp sweet onion, diced
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of nutmeg
3 oz smooth tofu, room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 package wonton wrappers
Water, as needed
2 jalapeno chiles, deseeded and chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Heat up oil in a saute pan, add in corn, 3 tbsp of red pepper and onions. Saute until onion is translucent and corn has released some of its sugars.
2. Add in a couple of twists of black pepper. Add in 2 tbsp of heavy cream and reduce by half. Set aside to cool. When cool, smash up a bit with a fork, stir in tofu and cream cheese.
3. Place wonton wrappers down and in the center of each, place 1 tsp filling. Brush exposed wrapper with water, carefully place a second wrapper on top and carefully seal edges, making sure to get out any air bubbles. Work fingers around edges to make sure seal is tight. Set aside on floured baking sheet and continue to assemble.
4. When finished, boil water and gently add ravioli a few at a time, cooking for 2 minutes or until they float. Carefully remove and drain.
5. For sauce: In clean saute pan, melt the butter. Add in remaining red pepper and jalapeno chiles. Saute for a while until butter is just very lightly browning. Add in remaining cream and reduce to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve over ravioli immediately.

Original recipe by Guy Fieri.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is not a regular cake in my household, and my idea of a pineapple treat is actually Pineapple Tarts. But somehow, I was thinking about the cake sometime ago. Then, DrNotts mentioned the cake a few days after that. All the more reason to bake one and see how it will turn out. I found quite a number of recipes, and did not know which one to choose. But the morning that I planned to bake the cake, I simply pick the hardest one to do. It's not really hard actually, this recipe just required the egg yolks and whites to be separated when other recipes mostly use the whole egg as it is.

I made the cake during the Chinese New Year celebration, just because pineapple is associated to the celebration. The pineapple symbolizes wealth, luck and excellent fortune to the Chinese.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 medium pineapple, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick and cored
Maraschino cherries or candied cherries (optional)

Cake batter:
1 and a half cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
120 ml milk
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with a three inch sides.
2. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, for a few more minutes or until bubbles just start to appear around the outside edges of the mixture. Then remove from heat, and pour into your prepared cake pan. Evenly arrange the fresh pineapple slices and cherries on top of the sugar mixture.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in another bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the vanilla extract. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients.
5. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar just until the whites hold a firm peak. With a large spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter in two additions.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
8. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto your serving plate.

Original recipe by Joy of Baking 

Remark: The cake does look like it was burnt in the oven, but I can assure you that that is not the case. It is moist and turned out great. 

Thai Basil Eggplant

I found this recipe while looking out for ways to use the basil leaves. It is delicious and you can simply eat this dish with rice or even noodles.

Thai Basil Eggplant

1 large eggplant
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 firm tofu pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
Basil leaves
Vegetable oil

Sauce:
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
2 tsp corn starch

1. Heat up a pot and boil some water. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 3/4-inch slabs. Then cut each slice lengthwise into 3/4-inch slice. Cut each slice into 2 or 3 pieces diagonally. Parboil the eggplant pieces in boiling water. The eggplant is done once it is cooked, but firm so it is still holding shape. Take them out of the pot and set aside.
2. Place the tofu in clean paper towels and squeeze the tofu gently to remove excess liquid. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and pan fry on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until the tofu is light golden brown on most sides. Set aside.
3. Sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients. Mix until the corn starch dissolve.
4. Using the same pan for the tofu, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat on medium-high. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper. Saute until they are cooked but still crispy. Add minced garlic halfway through and saute them together.
5. Add in the tofu and eggplant pieces. Turn the heat up and stir in the sauce.
6. Once the pan is hot, turn the heat down to low-medium and mix until the sauce slightly thickens and coat the tofu and vegetables. Turn off the heat and add some fresh basil leaves. Mix once more and serve hot.

Original recipe by vegetarian gastronomy.

Hobak jeon

Hobak jeon or pan fried zucchini slices has been featured in the drama series over and over again. I am intrigued by them, especially in Glory of the family where Dan-ah made them so pretty.

Hobak jeon are easy to make and they taste good. No wonder they are popular.

Hobak jeon

1 green zucchini
1 large egg
1/3 cup flour
Salt
Vegetable oil

Dipping sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar

1. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch slices and lay them in layers on a plate.

2. Lightly sprinkle the zucchini slices with salt. Don't over salt the slices as you will be dipping the jeon in soy sauce. Set aside for 5-7 minutes.
3. Put some flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk the egg in another bowl.

4. Coat the zucchini slices with flour on both sides and set aside.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
6. Dip each flour-coated zucchini slices into the egg until fully coated and place in the pan.
7. When the edges start to brown, turn them over. Take them off the heat when they are cooked on both sides.
 

8. Dipping sauce: Mix the soy sauce and rice vinegar and serve with the jeon.

Original recipe shared by kimchimari.

Japchae

I learned to speak a little bit of Korean words, all the easy ones thanks to the drama series and songs. But then I doubt I can survive if I am stranded in Korea alone, unless I can somehow communicate with them using one-word and thousands of gestures. I need to learn more.

Korean food - now this, I can say I know a little bit more. Bibimbap, samgyetang, banchan, gamjatang, gochujang, ddeokbokki, sundubu jjigae, seolleongtang, juk, hoeddeok, bulgogi, kimchi, doenjang, naengmyeon, kalguksu, jajangmyeon, hwe, jeon, patbingsu, kimbap, bungeoppang, etc.

Japchae is made from sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon) stir fried with vegetables. It used to be part of Korean royal court cuisine, specifically invented in the early 17th century for a King. Source: Wikipedia.


Japchae

1/2 pound dried Korean sweet potato noodles
2 and a half tsp sesame oil, divided
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thinly
2 red chillies, sliced thinly
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
3 stalks green onions, cut into 1" lengths
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms (shiitake/wood ear), sliced thinly
1/2 lb spinach, washed well and drained
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1. Fill a large pot with water and boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into shorter pieces, about 6-7 inches in length. Set aside.
2. Blanch the spinach in boiling water. Rinse immediately under cold water. Squeeze the water from the leaves and form into a ball. Cut the ball into half. Combine the spinach, half the garlic, and 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flavors soak in.
3. In a bowl, mix soy sauce and sugar together. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onion, carrot and chillies until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, green onions and mushrooms, fry for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach, soy sauce, sugar and noodles. Fry for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are cooked through. Turn off heat, toss with sesame seeds and the remaining sesame oil.

Original recipe by steamy kitchen

Remarks: You can also include strips of beef if you want. This recipe produce a huge amount of japchae.

Apple and mushroom crostini

There is not much you can do when you watch Jamie Oliver cook his simple recipes - other than drool a bit, wipe them off your face, and promise yourself you'll make it yourself some day. This was featured in his 15 minutes meals' program, so it's really a downright simple recipe and delicious to boot. I used half of a green apple and half of a red one, just as Jamie himself prescribed. Go on, go grab the grilling pan right this second.

Apple and mushroom crostini

8 fresh button mushroom
1/2 loaf baguette
1 clove garlic
1 apple
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1 lime
50g shredded cheese

1. Preheat griddle pan on high heat.
2. Remove the mushroom's stalks and place the tops on the griddle pan, turning when charred.
3. Cut the baguette into slices and add to the griddle pan.
4. When charred on both sides, rub with a halved garlic clove.
5. Coarsely slice the apple into matchsticks and toss with roughly chopped parsley and a little lime juice.
6. Place the mushroom on the toasts, sprinkle over the cheese, then pop under the grill until the cheese is melted.

Original recipe by Jamie Oliver.

Vegan banana bread

I was looking for a banana bread recipe that don't contain eggs, because I am all about baking without eggs these days - if I can help it. I learned that ingredients like banana, pumpkin and avocado can help us do that easily because of their textures. So you're probably going to see a lot of recipes on pumpkins and bananas here, if I manage to find good recipes.

I read how the writer tried different ingredients to achieve a moist banana bread, and finally succeeded this time. So I was tempted to try the recipe.

I did not like it at first. The batter was super thick before going into the oven, and I was afraid that it would be dry. It did turn out to be dry when I tried it a few hours after it came out of the oven. But after keeping it for a day, the bread turned moist and I love it. It is fine if you don't include the pepitas, I just wanted to try because the original recipe used sunflower seeds.

Vegan banana bread

4 medium-sized ripe bananas
1 and a half cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp pepitas (optional)
1 and a half tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Mashed the bananas in a medium bowl and add in oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix together.
3. Fold sieved flour, baking powder and baking soda into the wet ingredients.
4. Add the pepitas into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Original recipe from veg recipes of India.