The 3Cs Biscotti........ Chocolate, Coffee and Coconut

Home with the kids is one of the many things that I enjoy and the time spent with them can also make you crave for something with a bit of caffeine to help you get through the day, top that off with delicious chocolate and a sprinkling of coconut. How do I get that into one bite..... The 3Cs Biscotti........ Chocolate, Coffee and Coconut!


..... I needed this biscotti for my tea break today!!!

(Jacob the food stylist.....)

The 3Cs Biscotti........ Chocolate, Coffee and Coconut

1 3/4 cup of plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tbsp of instant coffee

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

120 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

125 g butter

1. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and place it in the freezer 30 mins before you add it to the biscotti mixture. I like to put the chocolate in the freezer so that it won't melt and keeps it's shape in the biscotti mixture.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and mix well. Add the plain flour, bicarb, desiccated coconut, salt and coffee until just combined. 3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Using an ungreased baking tray, half the biscotti dough and shape it into 2 loaves with moistened hands. I find it's easier to shape the dough with moistened hands rather than using a spatula.. plus it's faster.... and remember to leave space for the loaves to expand.
4. Bake the loaves for about 30 mins until just golden. Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 mins. Using a serrated knife, cut the loaves into 3/4 inch slices and place it sliced side down back on the baking tray. Bake it for a further 10 mins and remove it from the oven and turn the biscotti to the other side, bake for another 10 mins. Remove and cool down. The biscotti should be golden and will harden when it cools down.

Nasi Goreng Ikan Bilis (Fried Rice with Anchovies)

What can you do with leftover rice? Make Nasi Goreng/fried rice of course!! And what do I like in my fried rice...... Ikan Bilis!!


Malaysia is know for it's abundant supply of fresh and delicious seafood. It's a country surrounded by fertile seas giving it numerous varieties of fish, crustaceans and shellfish... and that is why anyone who lives here or visits Malaysia instantly becomes a lover of great seafood...


I don't really like the "traditional" fried rice, I like a bit of crunch in mine and the tastest ingredient for that would be Ikan Bilis or otherwise known as dried anchovies. It's a typical accompaniment to some of the best dishes in Malaysia... like nasi lemak and sambal. I buy my ikan bilis from Tawau, which is on the south-east coast of Sabah and the best place for fresh seafood! With Ikan Bilis you can just fried it up crispy and you can pop them into your mouth as a snack or sprinkle them over rice will do.

Nasi Goreng Ikan Bilis (Fried Rice with Anchovies)


2 cups of Ikan bilis
2 cups of cooked rice
4 eggs
3 small bunches of mustard greens, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 tbsp of soy garlic sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame seed oil


1. Wash and clean the ikan bilis. Place in on plate and microwave for 1 min. In a wok, heat up the oils and fry the ikan bilis until crispy. Constantly stir the fish so that it won't burn. It should be golden and crispy. Drain the fish and set aside.
2. In a wok, heat some oil and scramble the eggs. Gently separate the scrambled eggs into smaller pieces using the cooking spatula. Add the mustard greens and garlic to the eggs and stir. Careful not too overcook the vegetable it should still be crisp. 
3. Add the cooked rice and stir it in to combine with the eggs and mustard greens. Add the fried ikan bilis and mix in. Pour about 5 tbsp of the soy garlic sauce to taste and serve.


I would normally keep a jar of the seasoned Soy Garlic Sauce in the fridge to  sprinkle over dishes or just to add in when I'm cooking. It's a great dipping sauce as well as a flavourful seasoned soy sauce.

Soy Garlic Sauce

150 ml light soy sauce

50 ml water

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp minced garlic

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Lower the heat and cook until the garlic is soften, about another 3 - 5 mins. Remove from heat and serve.

Deep Fried Dumplings

There are just so many ways to make dumplings... steam, pan-fried and boiling. The shapes of the dumplings also come in different shapes and sizes... round, crescent-shaped, pleated edges and pinched little pillows. Savoury or sweet .... pork, chicken, prawns, etc just so many ingredients you can add to a dumpling. Even the dumpling wrappers are made differently according to what type of dumpling you make.

I've made dumplings before but this time I tried using fresh pre-made wrappers and deep frying the dumplings. A quick snack after school to fill those hungry tummys!

Deep Fried Dumplings

100 g mince chicken (you can also you pork or even a mixture of the two)

1 tsp grated ginger

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tbsp oyster sauce 
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine / rice wine
1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp coriander, chopped 

1 tbsp spring onions, chopped 

salt and pepper 

1 packet of freshly made round wanton wrappers

oil for deep frying

1. In a bowl, add all the ingredients and combine well. 

2. Open the packet of freshly made wrappers and pour a little water in a small bowl to use to seal the edges. 

3. Using a teaspoon, spoon in a heaped spoonful into the centre of the wrapper and wet the edges of the wrapper and press and seal the edges. Arrange the dumplings on a plate ready for deep frying.

4. Heat the oil for deep frying and fry the dumplings in batches. Fry until it is golden about a minute or less on each side. Drain dumplings on some paper towel and arrange on a plate for serving. Serve with a Soy Garlic Sauce.

Soy Garlic Sauce

150 ml light soy sauce

50 ml water

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp minced garlic

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Lower the heat and cook until the garlic is soften, about another 3 - 5 mins. Remove from heat and serve.

Fresh Shitake Mushroom Soup

Fresh Shitake mushrooms are in abundance here in South East Asia. Fresh or dried shitake mushrooms are a popular ingredient in many of Asian dishes and are also symbols of long life. 

So fragrant and full of flavour, these little brown pillows are my choice mushroom for making my fresh mushroom soup. Thinly sliced, sauted in butter and garlic and blended through to make a creamy mushroom soup for lunch today. A complete soup meal for a light Friday lunch , thick and hearty, and sprinkled with just the right amount of bread croutons. Another easy meal that I make with not alot of fuss and when I need something to fill the tummy.

 Fresh Shitake Mushrooms

300 g fresh shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped finely

50 g butter

2 cups of chicken stock 

1 cup of water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

salt to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Saute the garlic and onion. 

2. Add the mushrooms, pepper & salt and cook until soften. 

3. Add the chicken stock, water and milk and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered for 10 mins.

4. Remove from heat and using a hand blender, carefully pulse through the soup to blend the mushrooms. Try to blend a majority of the soup but leave some slices of mushrooms too. It adds great texture and you don't want it to become a puree.

5. Add the breadcrumbs and heat over medium heat until the soup thickens. It should be creamy and thick. Add any extra salt & pepper for seasoning.

Serve the soup with homemade bread croutons or just a bit of crusty bread.

Polenta Crusted Moussaka

A traditional moussaka is a casserole usually made from ground lamb mince, covering a layer of sauted eggplant (aubergine) and topped with a bechamel sauce. There are many different versions of moussaka from around the mediterranean but the best known ones are from Greece.

For this version of moussaka, I've replace the lamb with beef mince, crumbed the eggplant and topped it with a creamy cheese polenta layer. The layering is quite similar to lasagne minus the pasta but I've managed to incorporate the polenta (cornmeal) instead of the bechamel sauce (white sauce) to give it more structure, and of course to add in corn for the kids.

Polenta Crusted Moussaka

300 g beef mince
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
410 g tin of tomato puree
4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
salt to taste
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
2 medium eggplants, sliced thickly
3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg white
Polenta
2 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 1/2 cup milk
1 cup polenta (cornmeal)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
30 g butter


1. Cut the eggplants and place in a bowl. Add the egg white and toss the eggplants coating it with the egg white. In a small bowl place the breadcrumbs and coat the eggplants.
2. Preheat oil for deep frying. Place a small batch of crumbed eggplants and fry until it is golden. The eggplant should be crispy and the bread crumbs will help absorb the sauce. Remove and drain. 
3. In another saucepan, heat oil and saute the onions and garlic. Add the beef and cook until browned. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano and stir. Add the tomato puree, wine, water, pepper and salt. Bring it to the boil and simmer over medium heat, covered for 15 mins and cook further until the sauce has thicken.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C. In a shallow baking dish, ( I would normally use a 2 small baking dishes equivalent to the size of 1 rectangular lasagne dish) arrange the crispy eggplants at the bottom layer. Add the meat sauce next and spread evenly over the eggplants. Spread the polenta layer on the top and bake for about 15 mins or until the top is golden brown.

Polenta

1. Pour the milk, chicken stock in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat. Gradually add the polenta and carefully stir out any lumps. Keep stirring until the polenta thickens. It should take about 10 mins and add the parmesan, mozarella cheese and butter. remove from heat.

*** The kids loved the polenta and they didn't even realise that it was cornmeal!!

Chicken Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are always in season and most of the things I cook are usually tomato based. Fresh tomatoes or sundried tomatoes are welcome in my kitchen anytime. Lots of fresh deep red juicy tomatoes, rich flavour and good for you too!

For dinner tonight I needed something quick but simple to cook and I wanted to use some fresh tomatoes that I just bought. Chicken Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce!!! A creamy sauce with rich tomato flavours serve with chicken and penne pasta. 

I

500 g penne, al dente

4 chicken thighs, (about 500 g) cubed

1 medium onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped OR 410 g crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

1 tsp basil dry OR 1 tbsp fresh basil

1 tsp sugar

1 cup full cream milk or 1/2 cup of cream

1 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup of tomato puree

1/2 capsicum, chopped roughly

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the onions and garlic until soft. 

2. Add the diced chicken and cook half way.

3. Add the wine, stock, puree and stir through. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, cracked pepper and salt. 

4. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in the milk and capsicum, simmer uncovered for another 10mins until the sauce thickens.

5. Cook the penne following the instructions. Pour the sauce over the penne and stir through. Serve the with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Hot Cross Buns

Easter time is a time for traditional easter goodies and Hot Cross Buns are one of them. A sweet bun usually filled with candied orange peel and sultanas or raisins and decorated with a cross on the top. It's traditionally eaten on Good Friday (sold all year round now), dating back to about the 12th century and were sold to tune of this old nursery rhyme.

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny, two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

I've adapted this Hot Cross Bun recipe from the same bread recipe that I used with the Japanese Bread and just added the sultanas to the mix.


Use the Japanese Bread recipe and replace the fillings with 3/4 cup of sultanas and roll into equal size balls to fit a square baking tin. Bake the hot cross buns for about 15 mins - 20 mins


Sugar Glaze


4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water


1. Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and stir over low heat. Remove once the sugar has dissolved and brush over the baked hot cross buns.

Jelly Donuts

Happy Easter!!! To celebrate Easter this year I've made jam and custard donuts instead of the traditional hot cross buns.....(I'll be making them tomorrow!) I've been wanting to make donuts for a while but just never got around to it and today's a great occasion / celebration to have them. A rich, sweet snack filled with just the right amount of velvety custard or fruity jelly jam which is then deep fried in oil and coated with powdery icing sugar.....(there's goes all the dieting!!)


I had in mind all the sweet things that we use to eat when we lived in Holland during spring, summer and festive times; the doughy dumplings filled with raisins, apple and currants called Oliebollen and the mini fluffy pancakes Poffertjes. Both very similar, all made from a sweetened dough, deep fried and covered in icing sugar.


I adapted this Jelly Donut recipe from Martha Stewart's Sufganiyot but added custard to the fillings and coated it with icing sugar instead of caster sugar. Sufganiyot is actually a traditional dessert served at Hanukkah (Jewish Festival of Lights), but I decided to make this because it's one of my favourite donut for all occasions.

Custard Donuts


Blackcurrant Jam Donuts

2 tbsp. active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water, (100°F to 110°F)

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. sugar, plus more for rolling (for rolling I used icing sugar instead)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for bowl

1 cup seedless blackcurrant jam (I used 1/2 cup of blackcurrant jam and 1/2 cup custard)

1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 tsp. sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms.

3. On a well-floured work surface, knead until dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 8 minutes (add more flour if necessary). Place in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2-inch-round cutter or drinking glass, cut 20 rounds. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 15 minutes.
5. In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 370°.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 rounds into oil. Fry until golden, about 40 seconds. Turn doughnuts over; fry until golden on other side, another 40 seconds.
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Roll in sugar while warm. Fry all dough, and roll in sugar.
7. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip with jam. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, make a hole in the side of each donut. Fit the pastry tip into a hole, pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining donut.

Dumplings........a bite at a time

A simple meal of little soft pillows of dough filled with a delicious mix of minced meat, veg, onion, ginger and a secret mix of sauces. A perfect snack; a touch of comfort on a wet, cold rainy day; a reunion meal or just simply a meal for everyone be it boiled, steamed, in soup or just left juicy and crispy.

Dumplings for my family are best liked just crispy and dipped in a soy garlic sauce. First pan fried browned, steamed and eaten a bite at a time. 

My daughter loves these dumplings and since we've had a decent rainfall these couple of days it's the perfect snack to warm up the tummy during this cool night breezes.

Dumplings with Soy Garlic Sauce

250g minced beef/pork

1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp cornflour

1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine/sherry

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

Pastry

180g plain flour and extra flour for kneading

3/4 warm water

1. Combine the mince meat, onions, spring onions, coriander and marinade in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 mins or more.

2. Place the flour and water in a bowl and knead. It will get sticky so you'll have to add extra flour making the dough soft and smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and leave it to rest for 30 mins.

3. Knead the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into lengths and cut 1 1/2" strips. Roll into balls and flatten out into a disc. Use a rolling pin but don't roll it too thinly. Place a teaspoon of mince meat filling and pinch the edges to seal.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Place the dumplings with seal facing up and panfry until golden brown at the base. Cover the dumplings with 1/2 water and boil off the water. Uncover the wok and cook a further 1-2 mins. Serve it hot with dipping sauce.

Soy Garlic Sauce

150 ml light soy sauce

50 ml water

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp minced garlic

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Lower the heat and cook until the garlic is soften, about another 3 - 5 mins. Remove from heat and serve.

The dumplings are best eaten hot when served with the dipping sauce. It can be really juicy so be careful when it's hot. 

Sweet & Sour

Celebrations, holidays and family dinners have always gone along with good food, and of course, good company. Today is my Yehyeh's (chinese for grandfather) birthday, celebrating his 80th back home with the family with a big chinese banquet.

When I was young our family dinners would always be held at my grandparent's place. It was a get together usually held once a week, a time to catch up with the family over a good home cook meal. But it wasn't just any meal, you see my grandfather was a chef and ran a family restaurant in Sydney for many years. He had an additional mini kitchen set up in the garage with an industrial cooker, and was cooking up dishes of restaurant quality to be served at our family dinners.

Dinner at Yehyeh's place has always been and still is something I always look forward to whenever I'm back home. One of my favourites is his Sweet & Sour Pork, with just the right amount of sweet and sour sauce accompanying crispy strips of deep fried pork. I've watched him make it countless times and I tried to recreate it here.

Sweet & Sour Pork

450 g pork loin, diagonally sliced thinly

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg white

1 medium onion, sliced into thin wedges

3 tomatoes, chopped roughly into large pieces

1/2 capsicum, chopped roughly

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine/ sherry

1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup of chopped pineapple (optional)

oil for deep frying

1. Combine the flour, pepper, salt, egg white and coat the pork with the batter. The batter should be sticky not runny. Set a side for 5 mins. 

2. Heat the oil for deep frying. Fry the pork in batches until it is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Arrange on a serving dish. 

3. Remove the oil from the wok and leave about 1 tbsp of oil.

Sauce.

1. Combine the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato puree and wine in a bowl.

2. Heat about the oil in a wok. Add the onions, water and sauce mixture in the wok and stir. Add the fresh tomatoes and cover and cook over medium heat for 5 mins.

3. Add the capsicum and pineapple (optional) and cook uncovered for another 3 - 5 mins. Cook the sauce until it has thicken making sure that the tomato and capsicum has still retain most of it's texture. Pour the sauce over the deep fried pork. 

**I usually don't add the pork to the sweet & sour sauce while cooking because I find the sauce will eventually absorb and sauce and soften the pork, plus the kids like the pork crispy. 

**The sauce doesn't really need any cornflour to thicken the sauce when you use tomato puree because the puree is already thick and you only need to adjust the water added. 

Tempting Tempura

Putting a twist on the old fish and chips the Tempura way. 

For lunch today I couldn't decide what to cook for the kids. They're usually very hungry after a long day at school and the first thing they'll ask is...

                 "What's for lunch? I'm so hungry!!"

So I had some fish fillets on hand and a couple of potatoes, why not give it a Japanese theme. I knew I had a packet of tempura batter somewhere at the back of the cupboard and a few fresh shitake mushrooms, daikon, green french beans and onions to spare in the fridge. The only thing I had to come up with was the tempura dipping sauce.

Now the expert at making Tempura in the family is my dad, he'll always manage to get the batter just right and everything would look like it came straight from a japanese restuarant......but he's miles away back in Sydney. ....But that didn't stop me from calling him today just to check what his secret to successful Tempura was.... "Ice, just remember the ice!"

Tempura

150 g tempura batter mix

150 ml ice cold water

handful of ice cubes

vegetable oil for deep frying

200g fish fillet, sliced

mushrooms, thickly sliced

daikon, thinly sliced

potatoes, thinly sliced

green french beans, cut in 2' lengths

onions, sliced

1. Place the tempura batter mix in a medium bowl. Pour the ice cold water into the bowl and add a couple of ice cubes. The ice cubes will keep the batter cool and this makes the batter crispy when it's deep fried. Use chopsticks to stir the mixture. It should be a slightly runny batter, not too thick. 

2. Heat the oil for deep frying. Test the batter by placing a little bit of batter.

3. Dip the ingredients one at a time in the batter. Use long cooking chopsticks for deep frying. Coat each with the batter and deep fry each ingredient until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve the tempura while hot.

Tempura Dipping Sauce

1 tbsp dashi stock granules

2 tsbp soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin

1 cup water

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Remove from heat and serve.

Gone Bananas

Now what do you do when you have too many bananas in the kitchen?

        

        You make lots of Banana Bread! It's quick to make and you can pack loads of sweet bananas into a moist, hi-fibre, healthy, full of flavour bread. 

It's one of those comfort classics that everyone has a mum or aunt making it. For me, the all time best banana bread is the one my Mama (grandmother in Chinese) makes.....

                              it is THE BEST!!! 

A beautiful golden brown banana bread that's moist and delicious......ah but I can't give you her recipe (real family secret!!!) but you try mine.....

Banana Bread

80 g butter

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 bananas, ripe, mashed

2 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

**optional 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

**optional 1/2 cup sultanas

Preheat the oven to 180C.

1. Mash the bananas in a bowl.

2. Cream the butter and brown & caster sugars. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla essence and mix well. Add the eggs. You can add the walnuts and sultanas as well.

3. In a separate bowl sift the flour,baking powder and salt. Fold in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk and stir until combined.

4. Grease a loaf tin and line it with baking paper. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 40-45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the banana bread to rest for about 5 mins before you remove the tin. Cover the bread in cling wrap and you can eat it when it has cooled. My grandmother would always cover the bread so that it would always stay moist.

Whenever I make this I would slice the bread in thick slices because a thin slice is never enough. You can also serve this like a cake by icing the top with a simple honey cream cheese frosting.

Honey Cream Cheese

125 g cream cheese, soften

1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp honey

1. Cream the cream cheese until soft. Add the icing sugar and honey and stir until its smooth. Spread the frosting on the top of the banana bread. I use the same frosting but doubled on my Carrot Cake.

Walnut, Pumpkin, Sultana Bread

There's something about freshly baked bread that just invites you to have a slice or two. Is it the aroma of that freshly baked bread that fills the whole house and takes your breath away?


It's like a trigger awaking the senses of taste and smells of comfort. Warm crusty bread, melted butter dipping, the first crunch into that crust and that soft chewy centre. 


I remember as a kid having to eat wholemeal, wholegrain and any type of brown bread because it was "good for you". It was a special treat to eat white bread without any of those nasty little wheat grains. My brother and I use to crave for the white stuff!!! 


My mum would always buy those strange looking breads, the knotted buns with poppy seeds/ toasted sesame seeds, the pull-apart breads, round breads, farmer's bread, crusty Italian breads, gourmet vegie infused breads and anything that had a seed in it....... sunflower/linseed/rolled oats/cracked corn/pumpkin/rye/barley...and anything that just didn't look like normal white bread. 


So when I was sent away to school and got to eat all that white bread. I started to really miss all those healthy breads, that simple nutty taste giving it tons of flavour. But most of all it was those memories of the breads mum use to give us as kids, and that is the comfort of home......Thanks mum for all those "it's good for you" breads. I just can't get enough of it now.

Walnut, Pumpkin, Sultana Bread


1/2 cup green pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped roughly
1 batch of Japanese Bread

1. Make up the Japanese Bread  and follow the same method. Add in the green pumpkin seeds, sultanas and walnuts and knead until the dough is smooth. It might get sticky but just add some extra flour.
2. Let the dough rinse until at least double about 40 mins - hour. Punch the dough down and knead into 4 equal balls. Roll the balls into ovals and roll it up again. Place 2 rolls into each loaf tin and repeat. Leave it to proof again for 40 mins - hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 C and bake for 25 mins or until it is golden brown.


*** Hint. I find if you heat the oven for about 5 mins and turn it off, it's a great place to proof the dough. Just remember not to heat it too long and cover the bowl with a damp tea towel.

Deep Fried Seafood Tofu

I'm a big fan of tofu esp; japanese tofu (egg tofu), steamed tofu, mapo tofu, and any soup with soft tofu in it. 


As a kid whenever we were at a chinese restuarant, one of my favourite dish to order was this Deep Fried Seafood Tofu. I've had it so many times but couldn't figure out how to make it, so with a little experimenting on the family this is it.

Deep Fried Seafood Tofu


2 pcs soft tofu
2 pcs egg tofu
150g prawn or fish paste (you can mince this yourself with a meat cleaver)
1 egg
2 tsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tsp carrot, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chicken stock cube
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
pinch of salt
corn flour to coat the tofu
vegetable oil for deep frying


1. Mash up the soft tofu and egg tofu. Add the fish paste, egg, carrot, coriander, stock, salt & pepper. I would normally alternate between the fish and prawn paste but you can also add both. Combine it until it's smooth. For this I usually use a hand blender for a few quick pulses.
2. Prepare a greased dish for steaming. Pour the tofu mixture and spread it evenly. 
3. Heat a steaming pan and place the tofu mixture for steaming. Reduce the heat to  medium and steam for about 20 mins. Remove and cool before cutting.
4. Heat the oil in the wok for deep frying.
5. Cut the tofu in small rectangular shapes and coat them in corn flour. Coat it evenly and dip them into the oil for deep frying. Fry until it is golden brown and drain on the paper towels. Serve them with mayonnaise or sweet thai chilli. I usually serve them with thick mayonnaise. (I'm a big fan of mayonnaise and Dutch frite sauce!!)

Paprika Chicken Wings

Just having a break from cooking today, just relaxing with the kids.

After a long hot and humid week I thought a dip in the pool would be a great way to start off the weekend. Esp. with this dry spell we seem to be going through, everything just calls out for water.

SpliSh, SplaSh around the pool always calls for a tasty snack to fill up those hungry tummies and what usually goes down with a swim for my kids is the ever ready Paprika Chicken Wings.

It's quick to put together and they'll gobble it up wanting more....that's what the little one does.

Paprika Chicken Wings

1 kg (about 12) chicken wings, drumstick and wings cut, tips removed

2/3 cup plain flour

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Clean and dry the prepared chicken wings. Remove the tip and cut into drumsticks and wings.

2. Mix flour, paprika, salt and pepper into a large bowl and cover the chicken wings with mixture. Make sure all the wings are fully coated. Leave it for 10 mins.

3. Heat the oil for deep frying. Fry the wings in batches until golden brown and drain over paper towels. I normally would fry the skin side first and fry the drumsticks and wings separately so that they cook evenly.