Elliot learns to Cook 1 - Bolognese Sauce

It is long overdue that Elliot should learn cooking. Here is his first away-from-home cooking lesson at Saujana Putra home on 15 October 2017.

Bolognese Sauce - The Heng's Style

Vegetable :
3 Tbsp            Olive Oil
3 Large           Onions - diced
2 Medium       Carrots - diced
1 Large           Garlic - diced finely
1 Thumb Size Ginger - diced finely
2 Tbsp             Oregano Spice

Marinating Minced Meat :
500 gm            Chicken Minced
3-5 Tbsp          Corn Flour
1/4 Cup            Red Wine or Rice Vinegar
1 Tin               Tomato Puree (medium size)

1 Cup               Water (optional if too dry)

For Taste :
1 Tbsp             Sugar
1 tsp                Salt
1 tsp                Pepper

Addtional :
1 piece           Green Pepper diced
1 Tin              Mushroom (Chinese button mushrooms) diced finely
1 Tin              Kidney Beans

1) Heat up oil, fry Onions until fragrant. Add in garlic and ginger.
2) Continue to fry with Carrots in, add oil if too dry.
3) Add in Oregano Spice, fry to let fragrance out.
4) Mix Corn flour into Minced meat, add in Red Wine or Rice Vinegar. Mix well.
5) Put Minced Meat into sauce and add in Tomato Puree.
6) Add in Sugar, Salt, Pepper and adjust according to taste.
7) Put in mushrooms, green peppers, Kidney Beans and mix well and stop the fire. Cover with lid.

Best to cook this 6 hours prior to eating.

This is a very versatile dish. From this sauce, we could make :-

• Homemade Pizza - may use thin wraps or bread with butter spread
• Lasagne - use non-cooked type, possible to use bread but cut off sides and roll with pin.
• Pasta & Sauce with cheese

Bel learns to bake 2 - Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Cookies, Brownies and Moist Chocolate Cakes, who do not fall into with these goodies?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUtRRZG0xY

The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Servings: 12 

 INGREDIENTS ½ cup sugar ¾ cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup butter, melted 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1¼ cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda 4 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks 4 ounces dark chocolate chunks (or your preference) PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, and butter until a paste has formed with no lumps. Whisk in the egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk. Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula, being careful not to overmix too much. This will cause the gluten in the flour to toughen which will result in cakier cookies. Fold in the chocolate chunks evenly, then chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. For a more intense toffee-like flavor and deeper color, chill the dough overnight. The longer the dough rests, the more complex its flavor will be. Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches of space between cookies and 2 inches of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread evenly. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown. Cool completely, and enjoy!

Here is a Chewy Chocolate Cookies recipe we tried.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies (makes 12 large cookies)

1/ 2 Cup      Sugar (1/4 Cup)
3/4 Cup       Brown Sugar (1/2 Cup)
1 tsp            Salt
1/2 Cup       Butter (melted)
1                  Egg
1 tsp            Vanilla Essence
1 1/4 Cup    All Purpose Flour sifted
1/2 tsp         Baking Soda
4 Oz            Milk Choc chopped or chips
4 Oz            Dark Choc chopped or chips


1) Pour sugars, salt and add in melted butter then egg and stir well.
2) Add in Vanilla and sifted Flour & Baking Soda and whisk.
3) Add in Chopped Chocolate or chips.
4) Chill in fridge 30 minutes to harden.
5) Scope using Ice Cream Scope and place 4 inches apart

Bake 180C 12-15 mins until sides slightly brown

Bel learns to bake 1 - Brownies

Bel is interested to bake Brownies, she wants the fudgy type. She gave me one YouTube link and I felt it was too much fat. So I googled another source. We gave it a few tries and here are the results.

Bel's original Video Link :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIb_741_dIw

Science of Fudgy and Cakey Brownies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIonKbKM-tE

Fudgy Brownies 

4 Oz (113 gram)   Butter (melted)
6 Oz                      Cooking Chocolate
1 1/2 Cup              Sugar (reduced to 3/4 Cup)
3                            Eggs
1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp  All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup                 Cocoa Powder
 Pinch                    Salt

180 C  30 minutes

Cakey Brownies 

2 Oz (56 gram)     Butter (melted)
4 Oz                      Cooking Chocolate
1 1/2 Cup              Sugar (reduced to 3/4 Cup)
3                            Eggs
1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp  All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup                 Cocoa Powder ?
Pinch                     Salt
1/4 tsp                   Baking Powder

180 C  35-40 minutes

Take # 1 (23 Oct 2017)

We tried the Cakey Brownies (by accident) on 23 October 2017 as we did not have enough Cocoa Powder and it was replaced by flour (too much).

The difference between Cakey and Fudgy are actually the Butter and Cooking Chocolate portion (more for fudgy Brownies). 

The Best Fudgy Brownies Servings: 9 INGREDIENTS 8 ounces good-quality chocolate ¾ cup butter, melted 1¼ cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Chop the chocolate into chunks. Melt half, then save the other half for later. Mix the butter and the sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla for 1-2 minutes until the mixture has become fluffy and light in color. Whisk in the reserved melted chocolate (make sure the chocolate is not too hot or else the eggs will cook), then sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix as this will cause the brownies to be more cake-like in texture. Fold in the chocolate chunks, then transfer the batter into a parchment paper-lined square baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on how fudgy you like your brownies, then cool completely. Slice, then serve with a nice cold glass of milk! Check us out on Facebook! - facebook.com/buzzfeedtasty Credits: https://www.buzzfeed.com/bfmp/videos/...

Chicken Burgers - Tai's Style

Chicken Burgers - Tai's Style

1 Kg Minced Meat

2 Tbsp Yoghurt

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp Parsley Chopped or powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Paprika 

1 Egg

2 pieces Bread Cubes

1-2 Tbsp Corn Starch

3 pieces Diced Mushrooms (round)

Optional :-
Few shoots Fried Shallots red onions, spring onions, 

3 Tbsp Black Fungus diced

Roast 180 C 20 mins (May need to cover with foil at the end)

Crystal Skin Mooncakes

I have wanted to learn how to make mooncakes for a long time! Every year, I would find more recipes and yet could not find the courage or the time to make them. I was afraid of failure. Three years ago, Wendy taught in our GB meeting Crystal Skin Mooncakes, I was happy to test them and ate them up. I asked for the recipe and bought a pack of Koh Flour and I procrastinated and the Mid-Autumn Festival was gone and the flour unused.

Finally, three years later, I told her that I must make them this year but I did not buy the Koh Flour until I was ready. It turned out that she has discovered an improved recipe and she changed it based on her experiences too. Here is the recipe she taught me.

Crystal Skin

100 gm Koh Flour
 50 gm  Icing Sugar
 40 gm Shortening
120 ml Water

For flavour, pour that into the water before mixing in. On the first day, she showed me how to do it, I immediately added the following:-

Pandan Green for pandan flavour (Pandan Green Essence put into water)
Chocolate flavour (Put Chocolate into the mixture), possible to add Coffee Essence
Macha Green Tea flavour (Pour Macha powder into the mixture), the flavour is a bit weak.

1) Sieve Icing sugar and Koh flour
2) Add in shortening and pour in water (flavoured)
3) Mix well until becoming a dough.

Wrap in plastic bag and put aside for at least 20 minutes before use. Possible to keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Filling (chocolate)

2 Tbsp Milk
1 Tbsp Irish Bailey
50 gm Icing Sugar
180-200 gm Cooking Chocolate

2 Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Milk
1 Tbsp Custard Powder

1) Double boil Milk, Irish Bailey, Icing Sugar and then remove from fire, add in chopped Cooking Chocolates.
2) Whisk lightly Egg Yolk, Milk, Custard Powder and pour into the melted chocolate. Stir until thick Stir until thicken. Keep for 2 hours before use.
3) Possible to mix chocolate filling with red bean paste.
I would measure and roll dough and also use the ratio of 35 gm skin and 25 gm fillings.

Choice of Filling paste 

1. Purple Sweet potatoes - best method is to add condensed milk into the potaotes mixture and stir to the right consistency.  
2. Chocolate fillings. 

• 2 Tbsp Milk
• 1 Tbsp Irish Bailey
• 50 gm Icing Sugar
• 2 Egg Yolk
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• 1 Tbsp Custard powder

Measurement :-

For every 100 gm of Koh Flour, it can make 8 Mini small mooncakes. Each mooncake skin is 25 - 30 gm, the filling is 10 gm lesser than the skin. So I was using 35 gm for crystal skin and 25 gm for filling. For filling, I use 10 gm lesser, 25 gm of filling and roll them up.

Finally, success! And Success is Sweet! Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival ! 

BBQ Party Prepartion

Here is a record of how I prepared for a BBQ Dinner party for about 40 pax. I always plan for more meat, any extra, we could put them aside for family meals. This happens to be Elliot's 21st Birthday on 3 September 2017, we have a few good recipes and have been tried out before.


Guest List :-

1) Our family - 7
2) Tai family - 12 + Grand-Aunt Cecilia
3) Heng family - 11
4) Annie family - 6
5) Aisha - 2
6) Elliot's friends - 6
7) Rekast friends - 6

Total :- 51 (about 7 kids)

Menu :-

1) Spaghetti Mee & Bolognaise Sauce
2) Tea Eggs
3) Chicken Wings -  6 Kg
4) Lamb Shoulders (Bone & Meatless) - 4 Kg
5) Hot Dogs - 8 packs
6) Sweet Potatoes
7) Mashed Potatoes
8) Macaroni Cheese
9) Coleslaw
10) Green Salad

Desserts :-

1) Tiramisu
2) Red Velvet Cake
3) Iced Lemon Tea
4) Beer

The night before, I ready :-

1) Tiramisu
2) Tea Egg Mixture
3) Cake

The Lord watches over us

Psalm 127:1(NIV) 
Unless the LORD builds the house, 
the builders labor in vain. 
Unless the LORD watches over the city, 
the guards stand watch in vain.

Numbers 6:24-26(NIV) 
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you   
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

We give thanks to God, for His faithful protection to our house, over and over again and despite our carelessness in leaving the main gate open during numerous midnights till early morning and sometimes the main wooden door unlocked. But early this morning, the gate was closed, the doors all locked, the thief came inside the compound, the dogs were barking non-stop (as they would over strayed cats on the fence), he attacked 3 of our doors and destroyed 2 of our locks and damaged half of our main wooden door. He almost succeeded to get into the house. He hit with the iron rod 7 times. 

I have a habit to check the outside before I go up to sleep. Sometimes, I even open the door just to peek at outside.