Kueh Salat

This is one of my children's favourite nonya kuehs. I have always wanted to try out this recipe but somehow the high coconut milk content have deterred me...unless there is an occasion that calls for it.

Since my last refreshment duty was during the March holidays, I had more time on my hands to try out this recipe. The texture was on the soft side--hence the difficulty in cutting into neat blocks. But the taste was quite close to what I hoped it would be. Thanks to Florence for her recipe--visited her blog and got inspired to try it out.

Ingredients:
Rice Layer
200g glutinous rice (soak in water for 3 hours)
100ml coconut milk + 50ml water
2 pandan leaves
1/2 tsp salt

Egg Custard Layer
3 eggs
30g flour + 25g rice flour
350ml coconut milk
140g castor sugar
2 tbsp pandan juice
1/4 tsp pandan paste
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
1. Drain rice and steam on pandan leaves for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, fluff up the rice with a pair of chopsticks and pour in the coconut milk + salt + water mixture . Mix well. Steam for a further 20 minutes or till cooked.
3. Remove pandan leaves and press cooked glutinous rice firmly onto a pan lined with a sheet of banana leaf.
4. Sieve the 2 flours mixture and add them to lightly beaten eggs. Strain mixture.
5. Combine coconut milk with pandan juice, salt and sugar. Cook over low heat till sugar dissolved. Stir in the egg mixture and cook till slightly thicken.
6. Pour this slightly thickened egg custard over the steamed glutinous rice and steam for 15 - 20 minutes.
7. Cut kueh into serving slices when cool.

Radish Cake

I love carrot cakes! Whether it's cakes made with fresh carrots and cinnamon or chinese radish cake or chai tau kueh, I love them all!

I chanced upon this recipe from my surfing and tried it out. Indeed it tastes quite close to the hong kong style radish cake. It tastes even better when it's pan fried. For my last refreshment duty in church, I made two trays and fried them. However, only the adults enjoy it. The young people somehow cannot appreciate this kind of carrot cake. Sigh...

Crostinis and Dips

It was my turn to prepare refreshments again yesterday in church. Am running out of ideas now. Was doing grocery shopping last Friday and I chanced upon some baguettes. I bought 2 without knowing what to do with them. At the most we can have them for breakfast. As I mulled over what to prepare for the refreshments, I thought why don't I use the baguette to make crostinis. Crostinis are mini crispy toasts. Had lunch with Hubby at Il Lido Restaurant at Sentosa some time ago, and remembered that they served crostinis as a starter. It was first drizzled with olive oil and then baked. I used garlic butter with herbs. After slicing the baguette, I let the slices air in the open so that they will dry out. After that, put on the spread and put in the oven to bake at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.

To go with the crispy toasts, I made an otak dip (the orangey one). At church, some people thought it looked like mustard, and dared not try it. Some thought it was a cheese dip. Msot were surprised that it was an otak dip and they have never tried it before. They were even more surprised when I told them I put silken tofu to blend with the otak, so that the dip will be smooth. A little mayonnaise was added as well. For the egg dip, it was quite standard. Use hard boiled eggs, mayo, a little butter and herbs.

Otak Sandwich Roll

Haven't updated this blog for some time...have been so busy, but actually also quite lazy. As my kitchen and toilets are being renovated, we decided to stay over at my mum's place, which is nearby. What was supposed to be a one-month renovation has turned out to be almost 2 months. Well, it's partly my fault--for wanting to change this, that or other. After all, staying at Mummy's place is so comfortable. The kids enjoy it and also, we get the morning sun and the clothes dry so fast! Altho' the reno has been completed, there's the endless packing and cleaning to do...so we're not moving back as yet!

Made some otak and found it a bit too wet. So I thought why not make it as a filling for sandwich rolls, since it was my turn to bring refreshments for church on 18 August 07. Added a bit of mayo to enhance the taste.

Ingredients

½ kg boneless fish meat (chopped)
4 shallots
4 cloves garlic
6 candlenuts
1 tsp belacan
2 stalks lemon grass
2 cm piece galangal
4 lime leaves (limau purut)
3-4 red chillies
1 cm yellow ginger
1 egg
sugar to taste
1 tbsp cornflour
180ml thick coconut milk
salt to taste
banana leaf, oil

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C

2. Grind the onions, belacan, lemon grass, galanggal and red chillies with coconut milk to a fine paste. Add the turmeric. Mix well. Fry paste.

3. Mix in the fish paste, egg, sugar, salt and cornflour. Beat the mixture until smooth.

4. Cut the banana leaf to fit a 16 cm ovenproof dish. Scald the leaf and rub some oil over it. Place the leaf in the dish and pour the fish mixture over.

5. Bake fish until firm to touch. (Approx 15-20 minutes.) Cool before cutting.

Pie Tee Shells

180g rice flour
50g corn flour
50g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
300-350ml water

Mix everything together and stir till mixture is smooth and not lumpy. Consistency should be a rather thick batter--but easy to pour.

Heat up a small pot of oil. Drip a little batter in oil.. When it sizzles, oil is hot enough. Dip the pie tee mould in the hot oil. Then remove from oil and dip it in the batter. The batter should cling to the mould. Quickly put the mould in the oil and jiggle the mould. After a few seconds, shake the pie tee shell off the mould.

Refreshments for Church Service @SingPost

Yesterday was my turn to prepare the refreshments. Didn't really have time to think what to prepare as I had a really hectic week. Only on Friday night could I think about the food...finally decided to do something simple--sandwich roll with egg mayo with luncheon meat, and tuna as well. Also baked carrot cake and made popcorn--salty and sweet.





Sandwich Roll



Carrot Cake



Popcorn