Baked Cassava Cake/Kuih Bingka Ubi Kayu Recipes

This must be one of the easiest Nonya kuih to make. All you have to do is put all the ingredients together and bake. This cake is a lighter version than the usual one as I cut down on the sugar and coconut milk. This kuih is especially good for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Ingredients :

2 lbs of grated cassava – thawed and drain the juice well
2 tbsp of melted butter
2 eggs
240 grm of palm sugar (gula melaka)or brown sugar
2 pandan (screwpine) leaves
3/4 cup of water
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp of custard power or cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt

1. Cut the palm sugar into small pieces, bring the 3/4 water to boil and add in the palm sugar and pandan leaves. Simmer until the sugar melted. Strain and let it cool
2. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line an 8" x 8" pan with foil, grease the foil.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine cassave (ubi kayu), sugar syrup, eggs, custard powder,melted butter and salt. Miix everything really well.
4. Pour mixture into greased pan. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. If the top is still not browned after an hour switch your oven to broil and broil for 1 minute until the top is brown. Check constantly to make sure it's not burnt.
5. Cool completely before cutting into it.

More pretty cocktails - Dairy Foods

Check out these "so gorgeous they blow my mind" champagne drinks from Martha Stewart Weddings. As beautiful as they are, it's just a simple touch/embellishment that adds such visual impact.

From MarthaStewardWeddings.com: Tiny roses add an elegant detail to your champagne toast. To make the garnishes, insert a toothpick into the base of each blossom at an angle of a little less than 45 degrees. Cut the stems cleanly about 1-inch shorter than the length of the toothpick; you may have to adjust length depending on the weight of the bloom. Place each toothpick just inside of a rim, letting the roses balance delicately on top.

From MarthaStewardWeddings.com: Offered as an aperitif or for a toast, this aromatic drink evokes the romance of the South of France with each sparkling sip.

Tri-color Marble Cake Recipes

I just love making marble cake. I always experimenting the marbling effect and I think this design is what I like the most. This cake is soft, moist, and most importantly, fun to make. This pretty cake is suitable for an afternoon tea with families and friends.

Ingredients :

226 grm butter (2 stick)
220 grm sugar
6 eggs
260 grm flour
4 tbsp of milk
1 tsp of baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Food coloring – pink and green
Flavoring – mint/pandan, strawberry and Vanilla

1. Prepared a baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and greased with some butter. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Slow down the speed of the mixer and slowly add in the flour. Lastly add in the milk.
3. Divide batter into 3 portions. Add one portion with mint or pandan flavor and add a few drop of green coloring. In another portion add a few drop of strawberry flavor and some pink coloring. The last portion just leave it plain and add a few drop of vanilla to it. Stir well.
4. The most important part is assembling the batter in the baking pan. Drop about 3 tbsp of the better to the middle of the baking pan. Follow by the other color mix on top of each other. Proceed to do the same to the rest of the batter. Do not stir, swirl or shake the pan. The batter will spread on it own.
5. Bake the cake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for an hour or until golden brown. Stand cake 10 mins. in pan then tun onto wire rack to cool.

Real Party: A Mexican Fiesta - Dairy Foods

My good friend Libby turned 30 last weekend and her boyfriend Biffer (yes, it's a nickname), Kristin and I co-hosted a Mexicana Fiesta at my house. Though lots of planning and good intentions went into the party, it didn't exactly go as planned. So my lesson learned is that you can't always predict party success and things don't always go perfectly.

Let's focus on the postive, shall we? We had a good five hours of party greatness and overall the heart of the party was present. The decor was lovely, many good friends and family came, and there was lots of great food as well as an amazing signature drink, Sangria.

Check out the delicious menu:

Barbacoa (this turned out amazing and I wish I would have snapped more pictures, the meat was super tender, just the right amout of heat and had an awesome deep flavor.)

Shredded chicken

Ground beef

Black beans

Guacomole

Mexican rice

Salsa verde

Habanero salsa

Green peppers and onions

Sangria (recipe from Cookinglight.com)

The birthday gal is not a big cake person so we had an ice cream sundae bar instead.

Here are some pics from the day.

These gorgeous flowers are from the Mpls Farmer's Market and the bold colors reminded me of Mexico.
Custom menu

I've been saving mason jars for months now and tied colorful ribbon around the top and filled with long-burning votives.

Kristin brought over lots of great decor.

Biffer dressed up for the party. It was a big hit.

These colorful lanterns were my favorite part of the decor. At night they just glowed and created a cool ambiance.

What is a Mexican Fiesta without a pinata? My favorite part was after Libby broke it open about 10 neighborhood kids appeared and we had them join in and collect all the candy.

The buffet, thank goodness for crockpots.

The gorgeous lanterns at night.

The Mason jars lit with candles.

Click here to check out the inspiration board I put together for this party.

Vegetable Steamed Buns/Vegetable Bao Recipes

My family and I just love this type of steamed buns. I made these for our breakfast when my sisters were here. It was pretty simple as I used the ready mix steamed buns flour which you can get easily from the Asian grocery store. The steamed buns turn out to be real soft and the flavor of the fillings is just right, with a hint of pepper, a not too pungent smell of the dried shrimp and the right sweetness from the jicama.

For the dough:

1 packet of the steamed buns mix

Fillings Ingredients:

1 large jicama / sengkuang - julienned
1 carrot - julienned
8 dried Chinese mushroom - soaked and julienned
3 tbsp of dry shrimp – soaked and give a rough chopped (optional)
2 spring onions – finely diced
3 cloves garlic - chopped finely
1 cup of water

Seasoning:

2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of chicken bouillon (optional)
1 tsp of white pepper
2 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp of dark soy sauce

Thickening:

1 tsp of cornstarch
2 tbsp of water

1. Mix the dough according to the instruction on the packet. Set it aside to rest.
2. Heat up the frying pan; add about 2 tbsp of oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant and lightly brown. Add in the dried shrimp, stir fry for a few second and add in the jicama, carrots and mushrooms. Stir-fry for a minute and add in about 1 cup of water and all the seasoning.
3. Lower down the heat and let it simmered until the jicama and carrot are tender. Add in the thickening and stir well until it’s thickened.
4. Dish out and set it aside to cool before using it.
5. Divide dough into 12-14 pieces and roll into a ball. Flatten it and put a tablespoon of filling and seal the edges. Put the bun on top of the greaseproof paper and set aside to proof for 15 minutes.
6) Prepare a steamer with rapid boiling water, add a few drop of white vinegar to the water and steam the buns for 20 minutes. Serve warm



Few other recipes using the Steam Buns Mix :
Steamed Flower Buns
Steamed BBQ Buns II

Inspiration board: vintage baby shower - Dairy Foods

I am co-hosting a baby shower with friends Megan and Linsey for fabulous, adorable mommy-to-be Jill. We are all very excited for this shower as it is Jill's first baby and I am not kidding when I say that she is one of the cutest pregnant gals around. We have decided on a vintage themed shower, think glass baby bottles filled with blooms, old fashioned diaper pins, lacy ribbon, vintage-chic photographs in frames, etc.

Since it wouldn't be a proper party without some booze (in my opinion), we will have wine but also sparkling tea for the pregnant ladies, and of course lots of great food. We're going to keep the food simple but delicious. So far on the menu we have:

Caprese skewers
Mini cucumber sandwiches
Cheese and baguette
Croissants and chicken salad
Fruit salad
Cupcakes

And of course I have put together an inspiration board for the occcasion, look at all the cute, vintage-y goodness. I can't wait!

Jill and Matt are not finding out the sex of the baby (boo!) so we are keeping everything as gender neutral as can be (sssshhhhh, don't tell Jill but I am secretly hoping she has a girl!!!).

Mini crab cakes and herb linguine with shrimp - Dairy Foods

My sister and I had a date on Saturday night that consisted of a seafood dinner and watching Twilight. That might sound a bit weird/random but we had a lovely, relaxing evening with a great meal. The menu included mini crab cakes and an herb linguine with shrimp. I've been wanting to make the mini crab cakes for a while, but jumbo lump crab meat is super expensive and making them just for her and I was a great way to test the recipe and not spend too much.

The mini crab cake recipe is from my Weight Watcher's Simply Delicious cookbook and the linguine is from Cooking Light. Both were great, but I made a few additions and strayed slightly from the original recipes.

Mini Crab Cakes with Dill Mayonanaise

Ingredients

1 pound cooked jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used panko)
1/2 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated onion
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 egg white
4 drops hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs (I substituted panko for this)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablesoon canola oil

Directions
Combine the crabmeat, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, the onion, 3 teaspoons of the mustart, the egg whtie, and hot pepper sauce in a bowl. Form into 14 patties.

Place the cornflake crumbs on wax paper. Dredge thepatties in crumbs, then transfer to a plate. Refrigerate, covered, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, the relish, dill, and the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or griddle until a drop of water sizzles. Add the patties a few at a time; cook until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Serve with the mayonnaise mixture.

Some notes, I added about a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the crabmeat mixture. I also sprinkled Old Bay seasoning on each crab cake before cooking them.

As you can tell in the photos, I wasn't too concerned about presentation since it was just Kat and I having a casual dinner. But these little guys were tasty and would be a great appetizer to serve at a cocktail party with sides of lemon slices on top of a nice platter.

Check out this cool foodie site for more crab cake recipes

I was really craving pasta for some reason and came across this recipe while browsing CookingLight.com. What I loved about this dish is that a small amount satisfied a huge craving. The flavor was similar to an alfredo sauce but without the zillions of calories.

Herb Linguine with Shrimp


Ingredients

4 ounces fresh linguine (since I love leftovers, I made the entire box, and used whole wheat)
1/2 cup half-and-half (because I used the whole box I added more half and half)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound cooked and peeled medium shrimp
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream


Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat (I didn't omit either of these, pasta needs to be cooked in salted water for flavor in my opinion); drain.

Combine the linguine, half-and-half, and the next 4 ingredients (half-and-half through salt) in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in sour cream.


Notes, I added juice from half a lemon for some fresh, lemony flavor to complement the shrimp and some fresh tomatoes for color.

Overall, it was a lovely night. I got to hang out with my sweet, fabulous sis, test a couple new recipes and watch Twilight. Sometimes laid back nights are the best kind.



Speaking of Twilight, stay tuned for an upcoming post about a Twighlight-themed party my sister helped plan/organize for her friends b-day. Think apples in cylinder vases, blood-red drinks and lots and lots of red candy. Totally fun ideas for Twilight lovers out there.

Pan Fried Egg Noodles with Beef Recipes

This is a classic hearty dish served at the Chinatown restaurant. The egg noodles are cooked with beef together with other veggies in thick eggs gravy. If you can’t find the fresh egg noodles feel free to use the dried version or ramen noodles.

Ingredients :

400 grm Egg noodles (I used Hong Kong Style noodles)
1/2 pound of beef (I used sirloin) - sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic
1 small carrot – peel and slice thinly
8 stalk of mustard green - clean and cut (you can use other type of greens)
10 button mushroom
2 egg - beaten

Marinate for beef

1 tsp of cornstarch
2 tsp of soy sauce
dash of white pepper

Ingredients for the gravy/sauce :

2 tbsp of oyster sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken stock (more if you like lots of gravy)
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of cooking wine (optional)
1 tbsp of cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Marinate the beef and set it aside. Mix all the ingredients for the gravy/sauce in a bowl and set it aside. Give a quick wash to the noodles in cold water (to remove the flour) Drain dry.
2. Heat up about 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Pan fried the noodles until slightly brown and crispy on both side. Dish it out and set it aside.
3. In the same pan, heat up 2 tbsp of oil. Sauté the garlic till fragrant. Add in marinated beef. Cook the beef on both sides until the beef looks slightly charred. Add in carrot and mushroom. Give a quick stir fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the gravy and bring it up to a boil. Add in the green vegetables. Check seasoning. Once the vegetable is cooked add in the beaten eggs. Give a quick stir and turn off the heat.
5. Put the noodles in a serving plate and pour the gravy over the noodles. Serve immediately.

Mpls Farmer's Market - Dairy Foods

I went to the Mpls Farmer's Market on Lyndale with my younger sis on Sunday morning and we had a lovely time. There are so many gorgeous fruits and vegetables in season right now that I could hardly carry my bag towards the end it was getting so heavy.

I purchased cucumbers, radishes (for a great radish appetizer, click here), beets, cherries (not sure if these are locally grown) and of course, a savory scone from my favorite Farmer's Market vendor, Cocoa and Fig. Katie got to meet Joe the co-owner, and she purchased a carrot cake cupcake and carrot cake cookie, both looked delicious.

I was tempted to purchase every fresh flower bouquet I saw, all so damn beautiful!

Crispy BBQ Buns/Siew Bao Recipes

It has been a long time since I had Crispy BBQ Buns or know as Siew Bao. I remember when I was living in Malaysia I will have these at least once or twice a month. I decided to make some last week using Elin’s recipe for the pastries. The pastries turn out to be very crispy and flaky. The only problem I encounter is pleating the buns. It split opens during baking and the juice of the filling oozing out during baking.

Ingredients for oil dough

240 gm flour
120 gm shortening

Ingredients for Water dough

240 gm all purpose flour
60 gm icing sugar
60 shortening
120 ml water

Egg wash

1 egg - beaten
some sesame seeds (optional)

1. Mix all the ingredients of oil dough together and knead till you get a soft dough. Set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Mix all the ingredients of water dough together and knead till you get a soft dough. Set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide both dough into 20-22 equal pieces. Wrap the oil dough into the water dough and flatten it (pix 1)
4. Roll the dough out into a longish flat piece (refer to pix 2 ). Roll it up like a swiss roll (pix 3)
5. Turn 90deg (pix 4), and roll out again and roll it up like a swiss roll (pix 5 & 6).
6. Press dough with palm and lightly roll out into a circle (pix 7)
7. Place filling in the center (do not put too much filling in), wrap and pleat into a pau shape (pix 8) Place on a greaseproof paper.
8. Brush pie with egg wash, sprinkle with some sesame seeds and bake at 375 degree F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

(Pix 1)

(Pix 2)

(Pix 3)

(Pix 4)

(Pix 5)

(Pix 6)

(Pix 7)

(Pix 8)

Ingredients for Fillings.

400 grm BBQ meat (can be pork or chicken)- cut into small cubes
½ cup of green peas
1 tbsp thick black soy sauce
1 big onion- diced small
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp of sugar - more if you want it sweeter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of water

For thickening :

1 tsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp of water

1. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil. Saute onions for 1-2 minutes. Add in BBQ meat and the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir fry for 1 - 2 mins. Add in the thickening and simmer till the gravy has thickened. Dish out and let it cool. Set aside for use later.

A little piece of summer - Dairy Foods

Doesn't Caprese salad just remind you of a summer day? The red ripe tomatoes, fresh, fragrant basil and soft, cold mozzarella with a touch of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper....it is definitely on my list of favorite dishes.

Though it's a bit chilly in MN today I thought I'd post this lovely Caprese salad I made yesterday for a potluck with my coworkers. The tomatoes are beefsteak from an Amish community in Wassau, WI. They were the most beautiful, ripe red tomatoes I have ever seen (the stand is located on Nicollet and 8th). These two young guys drive to the cities every Thursday for the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. They may also stay the weekend for Lyndale market but I'm not sure. What I am sure of is they've made my short list of fave farmer's market vendors which also include Dehn's Garden (the best herbs you've ever smelled/tasted), Cocoa and Fig (confection perfection...sorry, I couldn't resist) and the hummus ladies (I think the name is Serena). These vendors literally make my day each and every Thursday and help in creating beautiful, perfect dishes like this one below.

Ice cream and birthdays - Dairy Foods

Going out for ice cream is such a sweet treat, especially on a summer evening with your girlfriends. Last night Melanie, Kristin and I met at Grand Ole Creamery to celebrate Kristin's upcoming 29th birthday.

Times like this are when being on Weight Watchers plagues me, and I practically drooled on the frosted glass cases filled with hundreds upon hundreds of different flavors. What I really wanted? Peppermint Bon Bon in a waffle cone. What I ordered? Raspberry Lemonade Sorbet. Now before you feel too sorry for me, the sorbet was delicious! It was refreshing, not too sweet with the perfect lemon and raspberry flavors. And only 2 points, woot woot!

Melanie ordered a coffee-flavored ice cream cone which was delish (I stoled a tiny bite) and Kristin ordered two different flavors and I think they were strawberry and cookies n' cream. You can tell she enjoyed it by the photo below. I wish I had a picture of Melanie as well because if you ask me, they are two of the cutest gals around.

Grand Ole Creamery is an institution. The weather wasn't even that great last night (threatening to rain) but there was a huge line outside the store just waiting for the creamy goodness. I think many of the guests are lured in by the sugary, waffle-cone aroma that wafts onto Grand Ave as you walk by. Irresistable.