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

Barley, like other cereal or whole grains have various health benefits and being a dietary fiber it contains protein, is a good source of magnesium, vitamin B-6 and iron.  It  helps in weight loss and controls blood sugar.  So much has been said about barley, what about lemon grass?  Lemon grass, a  fragrant herb has anti-fungal and anti-microbial qualities while exuding a distinct lemony smell.  Among many of its health benefits, it helps lower cholesterol and detoxifies the body.  I once had this drink in a Balinese restaurant and it's superb when served chilled! Lemon grass barley drink ~ 香茅大麦茶  Ingredients 2 lt water 100 gm barley pearls 4 pandan/screwpine leaves, knotted 3 stalks of lemon grass, smashed Rock sugar, cane sugar to taste (personal preference) Method Boil water in a pot, add in pandan leaves and lemon grass.  Then add in the washed barley pearls and boil on medium heat for about an hour. When the barl...

I find that muffins baked with oil, stay soft and moist and can keep longer especially in winter.  Also it's more convenient as vegetable oil is readily available.  To enjoy a warm muffin, just heat it up in the microwave for  a few seconds and it will taste as if it's freshly baked from the oven. Choc Chip muffins  巧克力玛芬 Ingredients 300 gm self-raising flour (sifted) 65 gm cocoa powder 180 gm caster sugar 100 gm dark choc chips 30 gm white choc chips 1/2 cup oil 2/3 cup milk 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla pinch of salt Method Combine sifted flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, dark and white choc chips in a large bowl.  Whisk well and make a well in the centre. In another bowl, whisk oil, milk, vanilla and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix till just combined Scoop the batter, 3/4 full into cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Bake in a preheated oven @ 200 deg.C for 20 to 25 mins.  Test with a skewer till it ...

This is a very refreshing and delicious soup that mothers in confinement after delivery can enjoy.  Walnuts are an excellent source of vitamins like Vitamin E and B6 and minerals like manganese and phosphorus, while red dates promotes red blood cells and boosts blood circulation.  Having a soup with meals will certainly help to keep the mother hydrated. Walnut Red Dates Chicken Soup ~  Confinement food ~  核桃 红枣 鸡汤 Ingredients 800 gm free-range chicken, chopped 60 gm walnuts 60 gm seedless red dates 2 honey dates 2.5 lt water Seasalt to taste Method Boil the water in a pot and once boiling, add in the red dates, honey dates and walnuts. Bring to the boil and then add in the chicken pieces, cover and let soup simmer under medium low heat till the chicken and walnuts are tender.  This will take about 2 to 2.5 hours. Add seasalt to taste.  Serve Yield :  4 servings

I combined the red bean paste and lotus paste to make what I refer to as a 'two-toned' mooncake.  Other than the traditional sweet red bean paste and lotus paste mooncakes, these days you can find a great combination of different flavoured mooncakes.  Baked Red Bean Lotus Paste Mooncake ~ 2018 ~   红豆蓮蓉月饼 Ingredients for Dough 150 gm superfine flour 90 ml golden syrup 38 ml vegetable oil 2 gm alkaline water Egg glaze - 1 whole egg, beaten and strain. Filling 420 gm red bean paste (store bought) 120 gm lotus paste (store bought) 8 gm melon seed kernel, lightly toasted Method 1.   Use a handwhisk to mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water till no oil surfaces.  Sift in the superfine flour.  Mix lightly to form a dough.  Cover and let rest for a few hours.  (I let it    rest for 4 hour s). 2.  Scale red bean filling to 35 gm each, add in some melon seed kernel.  Scale lotus filling to 1...

Ondeh Ondeh are green coloured and pandan flavoured glutinous rice balls with gula melaka or palm sugar filling, coated with freshly grated coconut.  We call it 'Kuih'.  Ondeh Ondeh cake is entirely different from this 'Kuih'. I don't know how the name 'Ondeh Ondeh cake' came about but I guess it's because of the colour and the ingredients which are somewhat similar to that of the 'kuih'. This pandan flavoured Ondeh Ondeh cupcake is moist, soft and slightly spongy and the gula melaka filling blends awfully well with the pandan and 'santan'/coconut milk.  A wonderful tea-time snack or a delectable dessert, any time! Ondeh Ondeh Pandan Cupcakes ~  香兰小蛋糕 Ingredients 140 gm plain flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate 2 Large eggs 120 gm caster sugar 80 ml canola oil 80 ml coconut milk 30 ml pandan juice 1/4 tsp pandan paste 100 gm gula melaka/palm sugar 1.1/2 Tbsp water a pinch of salt Method...

These snow skin mooncakes stay fresh and soft even after being kept chilled for a few days.  There is a great variety of mooncakes to choose from these days and for the snow skin mooncakes, one can create different flavours for the snow skin and this time I chose to add in Kahlua for a coffee flavour. Kahlua snow skin mooncake ~ 2018 ~  咖啡冰皮月饼    Ingredients for Dough 65 gm kao fun 17.5 gm wheat starch       )   Mix and steam for 3 mins. 17.5 gm superfine flour   )   Let cool and sift 60 gm icing sugar 25 gm shortening 65 gm hot water                )   Dissolve the coffee granules. 1.5 tsp coffee granules     )   Let cool 2 tsp Kahlua liqueur Filling 250 gm lotus paste (store bought) For a 50 gm mould, the dough is 25 gm 10 gm melon seeds, slightly toasted  and filling is also 25 gm This recipe is adapted ...

Not only is this Braised Pork ribs with mushroom  a homey dish, it's also very easy to prepare.  There are also three ways of cooking this delicious dish.  You can cook this in a pressure cooker if you're pressed for time, or in a slow-cooker or traditionally, simmering it in a good old fashioned, Wok! Braised pork ribs with mushroom in black pepper sauce ~ 黑胡椒排骨燉蘑菇 Ingredients 450 gm spare ribs 12 Shitake mushrooms, soaked and stemmed  6 slices of ginger 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed 1/4 teaspoon dark soya sauce 1/4 tsp  chicken granules (optional) 2.1/2 cups water, or more light soya sauce, sugar and salt to taste Method In a wok shallow fry the ginger with some oil, then add in the mushrooms and stir-fry. Add in the spare ribs, stir-fry on high heat for about 5 mins. then add in  and some water.  Add in the sauces, crushed black peppercorns, chicken granules, lower the heat and cook till the ribs are ten...

It's that time of the year once again and there are Mooncakes galore at all the shopping malls and supermarkets.  The Mid-autumn Mooncake festival falls  on 24th September, this year.  This round, I'm sharing with you mooncakes with homemade yam paste.  Homemade yam paste is moist and sugar level can be controlled.  These mooncakes do not have a 'waiting period'  which is   (  回油 )  and can be eaten on the day they are baked.  Best to consume within four days. Yam Paste Mooncake ~ 2018  ~  芋头月饼 Ingredients 500 gm yam 100 gm sugar 25 gm wheatstarch 1/8 tsp salt 70 ml vegetable oil (may require less) Method Peel yam, cut into slices and weigh out 500 gm.   Steam yam slices on medium heat for about 30 mins. till soft. Immediately mash up the yam slices while still hot (yam will harden once cooled) OR can use a handheld blender to blend.  (I used the latter). Pour the mashed yam i...