Chinese Red Glutinous Rice Wine Stewed Chicken

Sigh …. I’m in heaven ….

Thank you, Pris!

It’s been too long since Priscilla’s grandmother fed me my first taste of this very traditional Foo Chow (Hock Chew) dish. Stewed Red Wine Chicken. At the first look of it, I was a little scared. But after the first bite ….. I made the little old lady happy by asking for a second helping. Or maybe she just thought I was such a greedy girl.

She’d passed away two years ago. Bless her soul. 

There goes my chance of having more of this wonderful dish, or so I thought. 

I did give the commercial ones a try and they have never been up to par. It’s either too sweet or too sour. Seriously, I thought this was a difficult dish to make. 

Another friend made some for me when she’d got a homemade batch of the wine and lees. And I went off to heaven again. Sigh … will I ever be able to make this myself?

Then Priscilla came for a visit and brought me a bottle of homemade red wine and lees (made by her niece), recipe handed down from grandma! Gosh … I didn’t know if I could pull this off. 

Well waddaya know? I did. I know it doesn’t look like the real thing. Hey, it’s my first attempt but the taste is just as heavenly as I remembered it. And you know, it isn’t rocket science. In fact, I took the lazy way out and just dumped everything in the slow cooker.

You’re suppose to sauté some ginger for garnish and brown the chicken pieces before stewing. Oh what the heck. 

By the way, this isn’t red wine made from grapes. It’s made from red glutinous rice. So, basically, it’s a rice wine with a glaringly vibrant deep red. That’s why it’s so scary looking. 

INGREDIENTS

Half a chicken, cut into large chunks

1 heaped tbs Chinese glutinous red wine lees

1 cup Chinese red wine

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs finely grated ginger or ginger juice

5 - 6 pieces thick sliced old ginger

METHOD

(Like I said I did the lazy easy way)

Marinade chicken pieces with the lees, sesame oil and grated ginger. 

Leave for 30 mins to an hour

Plonk chicken into slow cooker.

Add sliced ginger, Chinese red wine and soy sauce.

Set slow cooker to High and cook for about 2 - 3 hours or until chicken is cooked. 

(You don’t want to overcook the chicken or it’ll fall off the bone)

Serve as is with fluffy white rice or the traditional way, over cooked rice vermicelli.

*What I’d learnt from this dish. It isn’t in the cooking. It’s in the wine making. Good wine makes good stew.

The commercial stuff …. yuk. Chinese glutinous red wine making is an art.

Some Kinda Korean

Fresh, clean, simple flavors.

Just perfect for hot, humid days. 

I called it “Some Kinda Korean” so as not to have someone come after me telling me it’s not.

I used a Korean Beef Bulgogi Marinade. That’s all.

I love the simplicity of their summer dishes. It’s more of a salad. 

Easy, light, refreshing ….. preparation is easy too. My fav kind.

INGREDIENTS

Beef slices (for stir frying)

Beef Bulgogi Marinade (bottled, any brand will do)

Dash of sesame oil

White vinegar

Ground white pepper

Carrots, julienned

Spinach, cut into about 2” lengths (or your preferred greens)

Toasted sesame seeds

Oil for stir frying

* I don’t have exact measurements for this. Just use enough marinade sauce to coat beef generously. The vinegar was added to compliment the sweetness of the sauce. 

METHOD

Toss beef slices with the bulgogi marinade sauce, dash of sesame oil, dash of vinegar and ground white pepper into a baggy or container. Coat beef well with the marinade. 

Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Blanch carrots and spinach (or just have them raw if you prefer. I like blanching the carrots as it makes it a little sweeter in flavor.)

Drain the veges.

Heat a little oil in the pan.

Stir fry the marinaded beef and remove from pan once cooked. Leaving it too long will make it tough to chew. 

If you have some liquid left from the marinade, add it to the pan and cook it down to a thick syrupy consistency. Otherwise, simply pour a small amount of bulgogi sauce from the bottle and heat through. Spoon over cooked beef.

Serve beef and veges over fluffy rice or just as a salad on it’s own. 

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and devour!

Tomato Cream Pasta Sauce

How the heck do you make a blob look good?!

Anyway…this was a spur of the moment “I-need-food-and-crave-something-sweet-yet-sour-and-savory”. It’s simple, deliciously satisfying and I am now sharing it with you, ugly, blobby pic or not.

It’s all about the sauce so I’m not getting into the meatballs which you can see (if you squint very intently) contributing to the blobbiness of the blob. I needed something a little more substantial than plain old pasta, even as good a sauce as this …. I need meat! Besides, gotta replace whatever I lost after this morning’s tough workout. Now I’m nicely padded again ….. sigh.

This was cooked by “feel”, as in, no precise measurements, just by my tastebuds. But I shall attempt to give you the amounts …. just an estimate. Taste as you go along. 

INGREDIENTS

250g tomato puree

1 large onion

4 -5 large cloves garlic

about 2 tbs grated parmesan cheese

salt & sugar, to taste 

200g cream

oil

butter

Chopped herbs

METHOD

Chop onion and garlic.

Heat oil and butter.

Saute chopped onion and garlic.

Pour in tomato paste.

Stir and simmer gently for a few minutes. 

Add parmesan. 

Taste and add salt and sugar as needed. (I’d used about 1/2 tsp salt and about 1 tbs sugar - this depends on how salty the parmesan is. So, tasting the sauce after adding the parmesan is important).

Remove from heat and cool a little before stirring in the cream.

Serve with prepared pasta of choice and a sprinkling of freshly chopped herbs …. and meatballs, if you prefer. 

Hot Sauce (Sriracha) Chicken Wings

There are so many types of chilly sauce here, locally made to suit our very fireproof tastebuds. I’ve only come across the name “Sriracha” in the American blogs and recipes. And I don’t think it was even on our grocer shelves til recently. 
I’ve ignored it for the longest time, never having a need for some foreign brand telling me it’s better than what I can get at home. 

Then this recipe popped up. The gooey deliciousness got to my tummy and I. 
Drool, I did. Make, I want.

I was sure this could also be made using our local chilly sauce / hot sauce. But then, I’ve never tasted Sriracha. Who knows, maybe it’s got an interesting flavouring that makes the recipe. Gotta get a bottle. Bought, I did.

Meh. It’s hot sauce. Chilly sauce, minus the sugary sweetness that many of our local brands favor. Now I can truly say … yes, this can also be made using our local chilly / hot sauces … minus the honey.
The thing that makes this more interesting is the bergamot leaves. It gives it an exotic flavor and a beautiful scent to the whole “burn my tongue silly”. 

(Recipe adapted from Slow Roasted Italian)

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken wings (drummets to tips, whole or separated)
1/2 cup Sriracha sauce
1/2 cups honey
1 tbs butter
juice of 1 lime
2 tsps finely shredded bergamot leaves (lima purut), divided

METHOD

Toss everything with 1 tsp of shredded bergamot into a slow cooker. 
Stir to coat chicken wings.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours. 
Remove wings gently (gets very tender and might fall to pieces) and place on a lined baking pan.

From this point, you can broil the chicken wings immediately and baste with the watery liquid or reduce the liquid to a thick syrup and then baste and broil and baste and broil …. to your heart’s content and until it’s slightly caramelised.

Remove from oven.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp shredded bergamot leaves and serve warm.

Sandwich Maker Tofu with a Zesty Miso Dip

This is an amazing idea!

You just gotta try it out. 

I’m not writing particularly about tofu. I mean, seared tofu? Pffft!!! Anyone can do that. 

I’d seen this idea floating about on the net a while ago and it inspired me to sear some tofu to go with this amazing, tangy, spicy, sweet, sour, zesty, all-textures dip that mum used to make. Brought back a ton of memories…

Anyway, the dip calls for a Chinese fermented bean paste (tau cheong) quite similar to miso. I didn’t have that paste, I had miso. Miso it is. And I think from now on, I’d stick to miso. It’s just so good!

Right, the tofu. 

Everyone has a waffle iron/sandwich maker, right? No? What? Oh …..

Never mind. Whenever you can get your paws on one….

Like I said, it’s such a good way to sear tofu. 

Or hash browns, polenta cakes, mochi……yes, you read right. Mochi. Those gooey little things. It gets crispy on the outside and still soft and gooey on the inside. Yummers!  I’m sure there are more stuff that can be done with a sandwich maker besides a grilled cheese sandwich. Get creative, peeps!

There’s very little oil used too. And it makes a more even shade of sear.

INGREDIENTS

Firm tofu, cut into wedges or whatever shapes that’ll fit your sandwich maker

oil for brushing or spray

Dip: (This is just a guide. Adjust to suit your tastebuds)

1 - 2 tbs dried shrimp, toasted (like you would nuts)

1 tbs brown miso

Juice of 1 large lime (key lime)

2 - 3 tsps sugar

chillies, sliced

METHOD

Mix all of the dip ingredients into a small bowl except the toasted shrimp.

Stir to mix until sugar has completely dissolved. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Stir in toasted dried shrimp just before serving so that it remains crispy.

Leave aside.

Brush or spray the sandwich maker plates with oil. Place the tofu wedges on, cover and let the gadget do its work. When done, check to see if it’s browned or golden enough to your liking. Otherwise, cook a little longer.

Remove and have it warm with the dip.

Makes a great appetiser.

Pan Seared Salmon with Passionfruit & Capers Sauce

Right.

So I’m up to my eyeballs in passionfruit. 

I’m good. Can’t seem to get tired of those fragrant things. Just bored of eating them the same way. Besides turning them into jam (Wanna see? Here.), I’ve made them into drinks, used them in cakes, desserts … notice something? It’s always a sweet. 

Then this afternoon, I was browsing at the grocers wondering what’s for dinner. Friend suggested salmon. And so, “bwwiiing!!”, went the lightbulb that is my noggin’.

Why not a savoury?

It’s always been a lemon and dill sauce for salmon….something contrasty to the rich, oily fish.

Passionfruit? Yessss….

Didn’t want a rich, cloying sauce. Figured I’d go with something lighter … more refreshing …. more, um, lazy. 

So here goes. Tell me if you like it. I did! 

As always, my portions are small. Double up or triplify (new word, my friends call it Pinglish) if you like. Adjust the ingredients to suit your palate.

INGREDIENTS

Salmon fillets

1 tbs butter

1 tbs grape seed oil 

salt

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 heaped tbs capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped

pulp of one large passionfruit

1 tsp honey (or to taste)

METHOD

Season salmon with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat the butter and oil in a pan.

Pan sear the salmon, skin side down. Using a spatula, press lightly on salmon so that it doesn’t curl.

When skin is crisp (about 2-3 mins), flip and sear other side til it’s done to your liking.

Remove from pan and let rest.

Meanwhile, stir together yogurt, chopped capers, passionfruit pulp and honey.

Glop over salmon and enjoy!

Instant Jammin' - Spiced Peach Jam

 

 

 

This has got to be the fastest and freshest jam making process I've ever experienced. No cooking, fresh, refreshing and healthier too! I must say tho, the texture isn't quite as gooey and sticky as regular jams but you know that's all a bunch of sugar and pectin.

This doesn't rely on too much sugar nor pectin. It uses something that's popular in the health circles these days.... Chia seeds....botanic name: Salvia Hispanica.
Remember those days where you have all sorts of funny clay animal figures which you kept watering and eventually sprouted and gave them "hair"? Yup....those. Chia pets, they were called.
Now we ingest them instead of pasting them on figurines...the seeds, not the clay things. Nope...you won't get a hairy chest nor is it an alternative solution to hair loss. What you will get is some long list of health benefits. Go look it up, will ya. I'm talking jam here.
Immersed in liquid, the seeds turn into a gelatinous goop. Apparently, they absorb 10 times their weight in water!

My sis-in-law posted a link on her Facebook wall about this. The recipe called for fresh berries. Berries of any sort is expensive here and since this was an experiment, I wasn't gonna waste it if it doesn't work out. So, I'd decided to use up some canned peaches left over from a wannabe peach cheesecake....that's another story.

Amazingly, it worked. Why I doubted it in the first place, I don't know. Maybe I'd just doubted myself...my ability to get it right...I have this knack for screwing up the simplest of process.
And of course I can't keep it simple. I'd added some spices to liven things up.

An experimental jam.

INGREDIENTS

About 1 cup canned peaches, drained
1tbs chia seeds
Sugar to taste, or honey (I used sugar so as not to alter the peach flavours too much)

1 star anise
1 stick cinnamon


METHOD

Put the peaches and sugar in a food processor or blender.
Buzz til you get a texture that you like.
Stir in the chia seeds.
Place spices at the bottom of a jam jar and pour fruit purée over.
(You can use a spice infused syrup for a stronger flavour)
Seal and leave overnight for the seeds to absorb the liquid.

Note: since making this, I've discovered that this is a great way to make chutneys and mint jelly as well. Unfortunately, this doesn't keep too long since it's non cooked.

Why not experiment for yourself and do let me know what you've made and how it worked out for you.
 

 

Baked Eggs in Pomodoro Sauce

This whole week had been all about feasting ..... not the regular meals we have everyday, but feasting ... big, huge celebratory type meals. 
We had a bloggers meet-up. Feast. 
Then the inlaws had some happy moments and wanted to take us out for a treat. No coffee shop stuff, they said, so it's another fancy restaurant. Feast. 
Then we overdid it at the buka puasa stalls (that's the food stalls operated by muslim folks selling their specialities for the breaking of fast (Iftar) one month before Eid. And never go shopping for food on an empty stomach. I never learn). Feast.
Whoo! That's enough to have me hibernating for the next month. 
So a simple lunch it'll have to be today. Can't imagine putting in anymore rich, spicy, oily, creamy, sweet ..... gosh, that practically covers everything!
I'd bookmarked this from Quay Po Cooks sometime ago. It's perfect for a day like this. Light and easy. Served with some crusty bread .... I'm a happy person!
Thanks, Veronica, for sharing this. I did not have the exact same ingredients at hand, so I tweaked it to what was available in my fridge and pantry.


This was enough for 2 servings.




INGREDIENTS


1 can (411g, dunno why such an odd figure) peeled whole tomatoes
1 tbs oil for sauteing (I used grapeseed)
a few sprigs of thyme, stalks removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely diced
3/4 cup grated strong cheddar (or more if you prefer)
2 eggs
salt and black pepper to taste



METHOD


Heat oil and saute garlic and onions. 
When onions are soft, add in tomatoes. Squish them up a little. (Or a lot. I like mine chunky).
Add the thyme, salt and pepper. 
Simmer until reduced into a thick gravy. About 10 mins.
Scoop into 2 ovenproof bowls. (I used 4.5" ramekins)
Sprinkle grated cheese over the top.
Crack an egg onto that and bake at 180˚C for about 10 mins until cheese is melted, golden and egg is cooked but still has a runny yolk.
(Mmmmmm .... I love runny yolk!)


Serve with crusty bread.

YTF: Unplugged

(Thank you everyone for helping get this to FoodBuzz Top 9)

No relation whatsoever with WTF .... and I don't mean the World Tennis Federation. Go figure it out for yourself .... or ask any teenager what WTF stands for. I'm too prim and proper (ahem) to say it out here.

YTF, as in Yong Tau Foo, our local get-your-hands-on-any-vege-and-stuff-it-with-some-fish-or-meat-paste type dish. In my case, I left it unstuffed or according to the title, unplugged. Instead, I've used the minced meat in the gravy.

The traditional YTF is usually stuffed with fish paste .... I can't see myself eating this with a fish-type sauce and meatarians we are in this household. I've used minced pork here, but you can always substitute it with minced chicken.

This is so not the typical YTF. This is my spur of the moment version, my what-else-can-I-add-to-this version. The I'm-too-tired-but-I-gotta-eat version. It worked out quite well altho I think I'd add more mince to it next time. Even the pic is "spur of the moment", taken with my mobile phone, still trying to figure out how to use its camera to its full potential.

Just in case you're wondering what's on the platter ... besides the little bowl of gravy.

From left to right: eggplant, firm tofu (tub tofu, yes TUB, not tube, tofu), ladies fingers, tofu puffs and fresh chilly.

INGREDIENTS

These are the usual stuff (pun intended) for YTF but feel free to add whatever suits your fancy:

eggplant, sliced

firm tofu, cut into wedges or thick slices

ladies fingers, whole

fresh whole chillies, seeded (or leave them unseeded if you're feeling sadistic)

puffed tofu

bitter gourd, seeded and sliced

long beans (this one's just blanched in stock)

... have I left anything out?

For the gravy: (you'll need to adjust your amounts depending on how much of the YTF condiments you have)

1 cup minced meat

1/2 cup water

2 tsp sugar

2 tbs miso

1 tbs oyster sauce

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

chopped scallions

cornflour + water, to thicken

METHOD

Singe the veges and tofu on a lightly oiled pan until lightly browned.

Leave aside while you prepare the gravy.

Stir fry the chopped garlic in a little oil.

Add the minced meat and stir fry until browned and cooked.

Add in water, miso, oyster sauce, stir to mix well.

Taste to see if you need to add all 2 tsp of sugar.

Stir in the balsamic vinegar.

Bring to a boil and add in enough of the cornflour and water solution to thicken to gravy-like consistency.

Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve.

Ajvar

Aaaarrrjjvvaaarrr ... I love that word. It rolls around the tongue so growly-like. Grrr ...

(Oh gosh! Embarrassing moment .... so I was told it's not pronounced aaarrjjvvvarrr but aiiiyyeevvarrr ... or an easier read: "eye-var".)

Ajvar is a Serbian relish. Its main ingredients consists of red bell peppers, eggplant and garlic. Other optional ingredients are vinegar and chilli peppers which produce versions from a lightly piquant to blow-your-pants-off hot.

This oh-so-versatile relish was introduced to me by Three Cookies having smeared some on his potato pancake and chorizo lunch and blogging about it. Go check Mr Three Cookies out (That's right, Mr Three Cookies ...... first name "Three", last name "Cookies"). Say hi.

It (the ajvar) had looked better than any ketchup I've seen and I was curious enough to look up the recipe on multiple sites and one that he (Mr T) suggested to me and was quite happy with what I saw. I've always loved roasted red peppers and eggplant. What could be better than to mush them all together and put it in a jar for when and if I need some kind of condiment for anything that requires a condiment. And now ... I'm hooked! I doubt I can go back to regular ketchup or relishes anymore. I had this with a regular hotdog the other day and it was mmm nom nom good! I'd even used it as a salad dressing! And today, I just wanted something light (another way of saying I was too lazy and can't decide what I wanted for lunch) and was digging into my ever crowded freezer and found some frozen pizza dough and decided I'd do a bruschetta-ish type snack.

This is ever so simple!

Here are the instructions ....

Thaw dough.

Roll out dough.

Bake.

Smear with Ajvar.

Eat.

How simple is that?

Oh ... yeah ... the Ajvar recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 eggplant (abt 200g)

3 large sweet red peppers ( totalling abt 600g)

1 garlic clove

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

1/4 - 1/2 cup good grapeseed oil (or a good quality olive oil) (I used 1/4 cup as I didn't want it too runny)

a little oil to coat veges / cooking spray (optional)

optional ingredients: vinegar, chilli peppers, cayenne, chilli flakes.

METHOD

Heat oven to 200˚C.

Wash and dry eggplant and peppers. Cut eggplant into large chunks and quarter the peppers. Discard core and seeds of red peppers. Spray veges with a little oil (or not, but I did) and place in a single layer onto a parchment or aluminum foil lined baking tray. Roast for about 40 - 50 minutes or until it's wilted and the skin turns black.

Place roasted veges into a heatproof baggy and seal or, into a heatproof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to sweat for about 15 - 20 mins.

Peel and discard the skins of both veges. Place into a food processor together with the garlic clove, lemon juice, sugar (if using) and salt. Buzz a couple of times to a chunky puree and then slowly drizzle in the oil while the blade is still running, until well incorporated.

At this point, it's up to you whether you want the ajvar to be chunky or a fine puree. As you can see, I like mine somewhere in between.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve or put it into a clean jar and store in the fridge.

Use to your heart's content.

Pesto Bread with a Twist

And I do mean twist. More swirls.

I'm in a twirly, whirly, you-are-under-my-power hypnotic swirl mood. Bear with me and my moods. I'm a woman, I'm allowed the mood swings.

This is a post using the recipes of 2 of my closest blogging buddies, Elisabeth @ Food and Thrift Finds and Arthur @ Art is in the Kitchen.

Elisabeth's food from the heart and Arthur's food as an art (hey, it rhymes) churned out these little "sculptures" that's a feast for the eyes as well as for the tummy.

Pesto bread. It's been done, but this is a good presentation for dinner parties, me thinks.

You can find their individual recipes here and here.

I've replaced the poppy seeds for the pesto. Be careful not to use too much oil for it otherwise you'll get it seeping out from the sides and you'll get uneven browning of the crust.

(You can always use your favorite bread recipe and whatever else besides the pesto or just leave them plain.)

Enjoy!

Vanilla Custard

This was made to go with the Spotted *ahem* in the last post.

Ok, ok, I'm no prude ... Spotted Dick, it was. You should have read what Veronica of Quay Po Cooks commented and a suggested name ... hilarious!

I think ... no, scrap that .... I'm definitely happier with the custard than the pudding. But there will be another post on the pudding soon. I won't give up til I get it right.

This is a no-fail recipe (can't say the same for the blinking pudding) and so simple to make and a very versatile topping to any dessert. Any leftovers and you can even turn it into a french-styled vanilla custard ice cream.

This makes a good 1 cup-and-a-bit of runny / pouring custard.

Feel free to double the recipe.

Check out those lovely specks of vanilla seeds!

INGREDIENTS

250 ml whole milk

150 ml cream

3 egg yolks

40 g sugar

1 vanilla pod

METHOD

In a saucepan, combine milk, cream and whole vanilla pod.

Bring to almost boiling and reduce heat to simmer for 10 mins.

Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks and sugar until pale in color.

Remove vanilla pod from milk and set aside.

Add hot milk to egg yolk mixture, a little at a time, whisking continuously as you go along.

Once all the milk has been incorporated, pour mixture back into the saucepan.

Split the vanilla bean into half lengthways, scrape the seeds and add it to the egg mixture.

On medium heat, keep stirring until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat.

Serve with your favorite dessert.

*Note: Custard will thicken a little more while cooling.

For a slightly thicker custard, heat a little longer but be careful as it may curdle.