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

These moist applesauce muffins have a delicious apple cinnamon flavour, fluffy and moist in texture.  Not only are they healthy and nutritiuos, they are so easy to make.  Perfect for breakfast or snacks! Applesauce Choc-Chip Wholemeal Muffins ~    苹果巧克力全麦玛芬 Ingredients 250 gm self-raising wholemeal flour 100 gm caster sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/ 2 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup lightly sweetened homemade applesauce 1/2 tsp cinnamon 100 gm choc chips 200 gm chopped apples Applesauce 4 Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped 3/4 cup water 30 gm granulated sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon Method for Applesauce In a saucepan, combine all the above ingredients, cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 mins.  till apples are soft.  Cool, mash with a fork or a potato masher. Place in a container and keep refrigerated. Yield - 1 cup of applesauce Method In a mixing bowl, whisk the wholemeal flour, sugar a...

I was introduced to White Bihoon on my recent trip to Singapore and must admit that I have never heard of this before.  Back here, we have Hokkien fried bihoon which is brownish in colour or Cantonese braised bihoon which is bihoon deep fried and coated with an eggy sauce of meat, seafood and vegetables.  I was curious and I had my first taste of this popular White Bihoon at Jewel, Changi airport.  It's white, because no light or dark soya sauce was added to the bihoon, hence it's white.  It does tastes good with a light squeeze of calamansi. So, today I'm trying to replicate this dish and here's my version of White Bihoon.  Enjoy! White Bihoon/Rice vermicelli  ~    白米粉 Ingredients 100 gm bihoon (for 2 servings) 2 eggs beaten 100 gm prawns 100 gm chicken leg, deboned and sliced 6 cups or more chicken stock 1 tsp chicken granules 1.1/2 tsp cornstarch + water to thicken Vegetable of your choice Salt, pepper and sugar to se...

What can be most satisfying on a Monday morning when there are warm muffins being served on the breakfast table?  They are quick and easy to whip up as only light mixing is required.  These muffins are full of lemony flavour and fragrance, a big boost for your Monday blues! Lemon Muffins  ~   柠檬玛芬 Ingredients 250 gm plain flour 150 gm caster sugar 1 'L' egg 1.1/2 Tbsp lemon zest 3 tsp baking powder a pinch of salt 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup oil More lemon zest to sprinkle Method Sift flour, baking powder, salt into a mixing bowl, mix in the sugar and lemon zest.  Whisk till well combined. In another bowl, whisk the egg, add in the milk, followed by the oil and whisk till well incorporated. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix till just to dampen the flour.  Do not overmix.  Batter should be lumpy. Using an icecream scoop, scoop the batter into a lined muffin pan, 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated oven @...

This is a simple recipe, no-frills tart that attracts your eyes as well as your taste buds.  A refreshing and appetizing dessert for your sweet tooth after a  scrumptious meal.  You can also choose to enjoy it for tea with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea.  Tastes best when warm. Puff Pastry Peach Tart ~   水蜜桃挞 Ingredients 1 puff pastry sheet, 8 inch square, thawed and cut into 4 pieces 1 can of Peach halves, cut egg white icing sugar to dust Method Roll up the 4 sides of the pastry dough, about 1/4 inch. Brush some peach syrup on the dough and place the peaches on it. Brush some syrup over the peaches and apply egg white all round the pastry dough. Bake in a preheated oven @ 200 deg.C for about 20 mins. till the pastry is brown and all puffed up. Dust on icing sugar before serving.   Best to serve warm. Yield :  4 tarts

This is a very soft and light chiffon cake and I used a combination of coffee and cocoa.  The flavours do blend well and complemented each other and it's perfect to serve this to guests or to enjoy at any time of the day. Coffee Chiffon Cake with Cocoa layering  ~   咖啡 戚风蛋糕                              Ingredients (A) 70 gm plain flour 10 gm coffee granules 5 large egg yolks 20 gm caster sugar 70 ml hot water 60 ml canola oil Cocoa powder (B) 90 gm caster sugar 10 gm cornflour 5 large egg whites Method Sift plain flour, twice, set aside. Mix coffee granules with 70 ml hot water, set aside to cool. Beat egg yolks with sugar, then add in oil and coffee.  Sift in flour and mix well, set aside. Combine caster sugar with cornflour. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites till foamy, add in half cornflour mixture, then gradually add in the balance.  Beat till ...

This is a quickie and delicious chicken dish, braised in caramelised sauce.  The ingredients are not too difficult to find and if you can't find kaffir lime leaves, you can omit them altogether.  This dish serves well with white rice and a side veggie dish.  Try it! Vietnamese Caramelised Chicken  ~   越南焦糖鸡 Ingredients 3 deboned chicken leg cut into bite size 2.1/2 Tbsp brown sugar or Palm sugar 1/2 cup water 1 Tbsp fish sauce 1 Tbsp lime juice 3 pips of garlic, chopped 5 shallots, minced Some black pepper Some shredded kaffir lime leaves (optional) Method Season the chicken with some salt and pepper. Place brown sugar and water in a wok over medium heat till bubbles appear and sugar melted.  Add in the other ingredients except the chicken and lime juice. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, flipping over now and then, cook till chicken is tender and cooked through. Add in the lime juice and fine tune to taste. Di...

I was so pleased when I saw the nice green colour of this pound cake after I removed it from the oven, for true to the recommendation by the lady at the shop where I usually get my ingredients, she assured me that I won't be disappointed.  Yes, it is green and not pale or brownish.  The homemade red bean paste complimented well with the green tea and the cake stayed moist and soft even after three days kept in an airtight container, refrigerated. Matcha/Green Tea Pound Cake ~  抹茶磅蛋糕  (adapted from 'here'. ) Ingredients 150 gm plain flour 1 Tbsp matcha/green tea 1/4 tsp baking powder 150 gm unsalted butter 3 large eggs 130 gm icing sugar Red bean paste for filling Green tea powder or Icing sugar for dusting Method Sift baking powder with green tea powder and plain flour, set aside. Beat butter with icing sugar till creamy. Add in eggs one at a time till well incorporated. Fold in flour in 2 portions.  Mix well. Pour half ...

It's been a while since I've baked a Bundt cake.  As I need to finish up the Rum in the pantry, I surfed the internet for a Rum cake recipe without having to have a cake mix as one of the ingredients.  I managed to locate one, modified it a bit and here's the recipe which I am going to share with you today.  This cake is slightly dense but moist, full of Rum flavour and aromatic, but trust me you  won't get drunk after eating it! Rum & Raisin Bundt Cake  ~  朗姆酒和葡萄干蛋糕 (adapted from 'here' with modification) Ingredients 280 gm butter 250 gm caster sugar 4 'L' eggs 42 gm milk powder 320 gm plain flour (take out 2 Tbsp to mix with the raisins) 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup milk 3 Tbsp Rum 1 tsp vanilla 80 gm raisins soaked in 4 Tbsp Rum Rum Glaze 2 Tbsp water boiled with 3 Tbsp sugar till sugar is dissolved 2 Tbsp Rum, mix well Method Prepare a 10 cup Bundt pan.  Grease with butter and dus...