2010 Year of Tiger coming soon - New Year Cake

Chinese New Year is looming our way very soon - 14th February!

To prepare my welcoming the Year of the Metal Tiger - i can not resist making a few festive treats - first one on the list it New Year Cake.





New Year Cake is sweet and with a sticky texture because its made out of glutinous rice flour & brown sugar.
Local customs past down from generations,that on the start of new year to eat something sweet is hoping the year ahead is sweet. As this is normally shared within family and friends - to eat this is to wish that the year ahead that family love & friendship will stick together in harmony.

I particularly like New Year Cake - because it reminds my naivety of my childhood, believing my mum stories that if i eat this i will grow taller the year ahead. This is the cake is called 'Nin Koh' - Nin meaning Year and Koh means cake but because it also share the same phonetic sound to 'growth' - so its usual for adults to fob little kids like me to eat it to get taller. And once i get to my mum's height i can do wonderful things that only adult can do - how SILLY am I to wish to be an adult????? haha

Anyway, let me share my little experiment in the kitchen for this sweet sweet cake!

Here are the ingredients:



for sugar i didnt want to use all the brown sugar block - so i halved it with some light brown sugar. (hence an extra bowl in this picture) Plus a bowl of dried red dates. 




Here are the important steps i followed strictly:

1) Melting the sugar on the hob




2) Once sugar melted - mix and fold well with the flour - give it a good blast on the handmixer and whizz it to a syrupy- floury mixture.




3) Get out your funky shaped containers either metal or like me silicone cups/shapes.
Get a sieve and pour the mixture through it to make sure no lumpy bits. Once done at a red date for decoration and pop it in the steamer. 

 


Steaming for 30mins!




Then with some patience - put them in foil cases or cupcake cases - it get a very pleasing result.
I deliberately did small ones - for experiment sake and ease of transport to my family to taste it, as well the importance of theirs and my health - a treat but in small doses ;p

    

Here is the New Year Cake Recipe.  Good Luck & happy baking!

Haiti appeal - Chinese Chicken Curry with Spring Onion Flatbread

As we all know, the terrible event of the Haiti earthquake have left many people ill, sick, family separations. 
To make some effort to support and help raise money, my colleague at work have suggested that we do lunch with a few volunteers bring hot & cold food and just pay £3.50 tomorrow Friday.

I've volunteer my feeble self in making chinese chicken curry and rice. 

As making a big pot and make slightly more so that me & Ken will have it for dinner.  With some time spare - i found a recipe i try out from Ching-He Huang book for Spring Onion flatbread to go with the curry. 

It is really easy to make and only took about 30mins. Once done can put in the oven to keep warm before serving.

Bangers & Mash

Bangers & Mash, which is Sausages and Mash Potato. It is a very popular dish in Traditional English cuisine, but often see it as something you get in a pub.

It is relatively inexpensive and really easy to make, good for lunches or for dinner and is a favourite from children to grown-adult.

Ingredients:

1 x Red Onion
8 x Pork & herb Sausage

For the Mash Potato

2lb/900gm Medium Potatos - peeled/quartered
1Tbspn Olive oil
6Tspn Milk
90g Butter - cubed
Salt & Pepper

For the Onion Gravy
2  Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 ¼ pint/700ml Veg stock
4 tsp corn starch/corn flour
4 tsp cold water
Salt and black pepper

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan, turn the heat to medium and add the sausages. Fry until the sausages are golden brown and firm, turning them from time to time - about 20 minutes. Throw in pre-chopped onion in until brown.  Once cooked place in an ovenproof dish and keep warm until the mash and gravy are ready.

2)Meanwhile start the mashed potato by boiling the potatoes in lightly salted water until soft. Drain off the water.
3)Put it in a bowl and mash with a masher or fork, adding the butter, olive oil, milk, salt & pepper. Once done keep warm until serving,

 4)While the potatoes are cooking make the gravy - melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the onion and cover with a lid. Cook slowly for approx 10 mins or until the onions are soft and translucent.
5) Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar to the onions and stir well. C ver with the lid and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
6) Add the stock and boil gently uncovered for 5 minutes.
7) In a heatproof jug or bowl mix the corn starch/flour with the cold water to a thin paste. Pour a little of the hot gravy into the starch mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the starch mixture back into the gravy, raise the heat to high and boil for 10 minutes or until the gravy is slightly thickened. Keep warm until ready to serve.

8) Once all is done, carefully serve the mash potato, sausage and drain it with the yummy gravy.

Hope you have a good tasty meal!