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Matcha Almond Muffins ~ 绿茶杏仁玛芬

These Matcha or Green Tea Almond Muffins are soft and moist made with vegetable oil instead of melted butter. My preference for oil is just vegetable oil but not olive oil as I find the flavour of olive oil too over-powering. The sliced almonds are a good match with Matcha and these muffins can be enjoyed any time or over an afternoon cuppa.

Matcha Almond Muffins ~ 绿茶杏仁玛芬

Ingredients
140 gm plain flour1 'L' egg1 Tbsp green tea powder2 tsp baking powder70 gm caster sugar120 ml or 1/2 cup milk70 gm vegetable oil14 whole almonds with skin, slicedMethod Mix flour, green tea powder and baking powder, set aside.In a mixing bowl, whisk egg and sugar till creamy.Add in milk to mix, followed by oil.Sieve the flour mixture into the egg mixture, stir well to incorporate.Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop mixture into the prepared muffin pan.Sprinkle some almonds on top.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 20 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.Remo…

Garam masala pork chop ~ 印度香辛料猪排

This is a quick fix for dinner. It takes only about 3 minutes to cook the pork chops but again if your chops are quite thick, you will need to add more minutes. I blanched some cabbage and carrot and cooked the onions before pan-frying the chops. Drizzle on some honey and it's ready to eat!

Garam masala pork chop ~ 印度香辛料猪排 Ingredients 4 pieces about 400 gm boneless pork chop1 tsp garam masala3/4 tsp turmeric1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp smoked paprikaA dash of pepperHoney to drizzleVegetables of your choiceMethod Lightly tenderise the meat with a meat mallet.Marinate the meat with the above ingredients for about an hour.Heat up some oil in a non-stick pan. Pan sear on one side for about 1 minute, flip, then cover with lid and turn to low heat to cook the other side for another minute or two. Drizzle some honey over the chops and serve with a salad of your choice.

Honey Garlicky Teriyaki Chicken ~ 蜂蜜大蒜照烧鸡

This is a flavourful dish of chicken drumsticks soaked in an Asian marinade of Teriyaki sauce. I will normally order this whenever I dine in a Japanese restaurant but if you make it at home, it will definitely cost you much less money. For an easy meal, I served this with plain rice and a veggie on the side.

Honey Garlicky Teriyaki Chicken ~ 蜂蜜大蒜照烧鸡
Ingredients

4 drumsticks1.1/2 Tbsp terikayi sauce1.1/2 tsp honey4 cloves garlic, chopped1.1/2 tsp cornflour + 1 Tbsp water to mixLightly toasted sesame seeds (optional)Method Make slits on the drumsticks, season with a bit of salt, set aside or overnight.Heat up a pan with some oil and lightly pan-fry the chicken till lightly seared.Remove the chicken. Mix the teriyaki sauce with honey and cornflour mixture.Saute the chopped garlic and add in the sauce mixture.Put in the semi-cooked chicken and let it simmer till cooked. Lace the chicken with the sauce to let the flavour of the sauce infused into the chicken. Cook the sauce to your …

Honey Matcha Chiffon Cake ~ 蜜香抹茶蛋糕

This is a two-layer chiffon cake, one plain while the other is of matcha or green tea flavour. I like the flavour of matcha and this chiffon cake is soft, light and subtly sweet. You can indulge in this cake for a Sunday afternoon treat or bring it to a gathering to enjoy with your friends or relatives.

Honey Matcha Chiffon Cake ~ 蜜香抹茶蛋糕 (adapted from 'here' with adjustments) Ingredients (A)
6 egg yolks70 gm caster sugar1.1/2 Tbsp honey45 ml milk53 ml vegetable oil75 gm plain flour30 gm rice flour2 tsp matcha powder(B) 6 egg whites75 gm caster sugarMethod Sift the plain flour with the rice flour, mix well and set aside.Combine egg yolks, sugar, honey, milk and oil, blend well.Mix in the flour mixture.In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites till foamy, gradually add in the caster sugar and beat till stiff peaks.Fold in 1/3 meringue into the egg yolk mixture, mix well.Pour this mixture into the balance meringue and fold in till well incorporated.Take out 200 gm of mix…

Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy ~ 梅菜焖五花肉

Mui Choy is preserved mustard greens and there are two types, one is salty while the other is sweet. There are many ways of cooking mui choy with pork belly. Instead of braising, you can steam it with minced pork but here I am using only the sweet mui choy and I braised the pork belly with it. This is a flavourful dish and you can serve it with plain rice or plain porridge.

Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy ~ 梅菜焖五花肉
Ingredients
400 gm pork belly cut into bite size100 gm preserved sweet mui choy3 cloves of garlic2 slices gingerSeasoning for the pork belly 1 Tbsp dark soya sauce1/4 Tbsp sugar1/4 Tbsp sesame oil1/4 Tbsp oyster sauce1/2 tsp pepper1/8 tsp light soya sauceMethod Season the pork belly for about an hour or more. Set aside.Soak the mui choy for 45 mins., rinse and squeeze dry. Cut into slicesHeat some oil in the wok, fry the mui choy. Add in the ginger slices. Stir-fry.Add in the pork belly, fry for a while and add enough water to cover the pork belly. Let it simmer…

Tamarind Pork Belly (Babi Assam) ~ 亚参五花肉

A very appetising dish with tangy and robust flavour of tamarind juice, red and green chillies added more oomph to the dish. This dish will surely whet your appetite and you'll go for second helping of rice to soak up the tangy gravy. This is a Peranakan dish but as always, there are many varieties to this delicacy. I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit what I have in my pantry and the end result is a very yummy dish that I will not hesitate to whip up again and again.

Tamarind Pork Belly (Babi Assam) ~ 亚参五花肉 Ingredients
450 gm pork belly, cut into bite size5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped3 shallots, finely chopped30 gm tamarind pulp (Assam paste) + 250 ml water3 green chillies2 red chillies2 tsp tau cheong (preserved bean paste)2 tsp dark soya sauce1 Tbsp brown sugar or to taste1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp fish sauce1 onion, slicedMethod Mix the tamarind pulp with a cup of warm water, squeezed out the juice and strain.Slit the chillies halfway lengthwise, or just cut into two, remove t…

Pumpkin Cinnamon Raisin Bread Roll ~ 南瓜肉桂葡萄干面包

This is a yummy moist bread loaded with raisins with a tinge of cinnamon. Great to have it plain, or toasted and laced with a light smear of butter. I freezed some and had it after a few days. It tasted just as fresh, eaten at room temperature. Definitely a keeper recipe!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Raisin Bread Roll ~ 南瓜肉桂葡萄干面包
Ingredients
350 gm high protein flour (or plain flour)40 gm wholemeal flour1 Tbsp dried yeast1/4 cup warm milk50 gm brown sugar1.1/4 tsp salt1 'L' egg3/4 cup pumpkin puree1 Tbsp vegetable oilAdditional oil to brush on the doughCinnamon swirl 50 gm brown sugar1/2 tsp cinnamon40 gm raisinsMethod In a measuring cup, sprinkle yeast over warm milk, stir, set aside for about 5 to 10 mins. till bubbly.In a mixer, with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, salt. Add the milk/yeast mixture, egg, pumpkin, oil and mix just the dough comes together.Change to a dough hook and knead on low around 5 mins, till dough is soft and smooth. Form dough into a ball and cover wi…