No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

Double boiling is slow cooking ........ means to put a soup pot or any covered ceramic or steel pot inside a bigger pot, immerse in boiling water, and let the soup cook at a lower temperature.  Hence the soup is cooked from heat generated from the boiling water and not from direct heat source. Double boiling lets the soup ingredients slowly release their nutrients into the soup, thus making it tasty and wholesome.  It's a long cooking process, roughly averaging 2 to 4 hours.  The tip is not to open the cover to check on the soup as it'll bring down the temperature and affect the cooking process.  The plus point is there's little evaporation and the soup will not boil over.  The only thing is to monitor that there's enough water in the bigger pot and not let it run dry.  Of course, nowadays, the slow cooker is another alternative to double boiling, saves the hassle of checking the water level.

Fish is best eaten steamed as it retains all the natural sweetness of the fish, more so if it's fresh.  Steaming time is important.  I normally steam my fish for 8 minutes, both for fillet or whole fish, but if the fish is much bigger, another minute or two will suffice.  Over steamed fish is rough, tough and not tender and silky. steamed garoupa in the steamer, ready to be served on the table fish is done when the eyes pop out ....... mmm.... the cheeks are the best part of the fish, chewy and for those who love to eat fish, they will say that the best part of the fish is the belly ....... Recipe for Steamed Garoupa Ingredients 350 gm Garoupa 10 gm young ginger, chopped Salt and Light Soya sauce to taste Olive oil and pepper Garnishing Spring onions, chopped Sprigs of Parsley Preparation Wash and clean the fish of scales Lighly make 2 diagonal slits on the fish Season it with some sea salt, chopped ginger, insi...

  This cake is suitable for morning coffee or afternoon teas, or serve warm for dessert.  Even after being baked, the apples are still crunchy and yummy.  This not too sweet cake can keep for 2 days. The apples are peeled, quartered and cored, cut into thin slices but not all the way through and  arranged on the batter, cored side down.  Sprinkle with some brown sugar and cinnamon as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. mmmm...... isn't it lovely Recipe for German Apple Cake Ingredients 120 gm Butter/Margarine 4 oz Caster sugar 8 oz Self-raising flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk/soymilk 3 medium green apples, peeled, quartered and cored 1/2  Teasp vanilla Cinnamon and Brown sugar for sprinkling on top of the cake Method Cream butter with sugar till light, fluffy and thick Add in eggs one at a time and beat well. Fold in sifted flour, alternating with soymilk, start with fl...

Yam, a tuber, creamy or firm when cooked, has an earthy, hardy taste and usually a minimal amount of sweetness.  It's a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure, manganese, carbohydrates, fibre and vitamin C, B1 and B6. A high intake of vitamin B6 has been shown to reduce the incidence of heart disease.  Also vitamin B6  has been a popular supplement with respect to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women, especially in conjunction with the depression that can be triggered by PMS.  Being rich in fibre, yam fills you up without filling your hips and waistline! Cooked this one pot meal recently and I love yam, cooked in whatever form, including ' Poi' ... a Hawaiian word for the primary Polynesian staple food made from yam/taro.  Poi is produced by mashing up the cooked yam to a highly viscous fluid.  Water is added during mashing and again just  before eating, to achieve a desired consistency.  It's best ...

Tofu ...... a solid form of beancurd is one of the healthiest foods that can be included in our diet.  Just as cheese is derived from milk, tofu is derived from soybean milk and it was first made in China about 2,500 years ago. Tofu is low in calories, high in protein and B vitamins, contains iron and no saturated fat.  This makes it an excellent substitute for meat in many vegetarian recipes.  The calcium in tofu contributes to the prevention of osteoporosis.  An additional benefit of tofu is that it's extremely easy to digest, especially for the elderly and young children because the soybean's fibre is removed during the manufacturing process.  It also lowers the 'bad' LDL cholesterol level, rich in isoflavones, which will reduce the risk of  breast and prostate cancer. They come in different textures, silkier or softer ones more suitable for soups while the hard or firm variety can be stir-fried, cubed or grilled . rather bland o...

This is yet another one dish meal, Hakka Mee/Hakka Noodles. These noodles are quite similar to Won Ton Noodles, except that they  have less lye water and the noodles are a bit flat and thicker.  They're served with bean sprouts with a generous serving of minced meat sauce. the noodles, ........... need to loosen them up before cooking serve with chilli sauce topped with chopped garlic ..... that will do the trick ..... yummy! Recipe for Hakka Mee aka Hakka Noodles Ingredients 180 gm Minced Pork 60 gm Garlic  -  chopped 200 gm Bean Sprouts 4 dried Chinese mushrooms - soaked and diced 3/4 cup water 1 Tsp cornflour + 3 Tbsp of water 3 servings of Hakka noodles Oil for frying. Garnishing  -  Chopped spring onions Seasoning for minced pork 1/2 Tsp Salt 1  Tsp sugar 1  Tbsp  Fish sauce 1  Tsp dark soya sauce A dash of pepper Preparation Saute the chopped garlic with 1 Tbsp oil, fry t...

Wood ear fungus or 'Muk Yi', does resemble an ear, and they grow on the trunks and barks of mostly dead trees.  They are a good source of nutrients, full of vitamins, low in calories and most important, inexpensive. Besides having medicinal benefits and lowering cholesterol, the fungus also acts to prevent blood clotting, which is therefore a must  have for mothers in confinement after child birth. The fungus is flavourless, has a slightly crunchy, rubbery texture which is retained even after cooking.  It is favoured in Chinese cuisine, in soups, stuffings or stir-fries.  Adding wood ears to meat dishes enhance the flavour as they absorb the liquid in which they are cooked, taking on the taste of the other ingredients. dried Wood ear fungus  ...... wash, soak for about 10 mins., then rinse, soak again for another 1/2 an hour till they puff up in size.  Trim off the hard parts and slice. a very suitable dish for mothers in confinemen...

True to its name, these cookies are really crispy and crunchy.   Have them with coffee, tea or just munching in front of the TV ..... not to worry, almonds are healthy nuts! Recipe for Almond Crisps Ingredients 4 oz Butter/Margarine 3 oz Caster Sugar 5 oz Self-Raising Flour - sifted 1 egg yolk 3 oz nibbed Almonds 1/4  Tsp Vanilla Method Cream together butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk, vanilla, followed by the sifted self-raising flour.  Mix into a soft dough. Form dough into a log shape, cut into 24 equal slices.  Shape into rounds and coat with the nibbed almonds. Place about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for about 20 minutes or till golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in cookie jar. Note If dough is too soft to handle, chill it in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour or until it's firm and not sticky.