Ham and Cheese Rolls

Ham and Cheese Rolls Recipe (makes 18 rolls, 9x13x2 glass pan)

Ingredients:

for Dough:
2 1/4 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp dry milk powder
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
1 egg
125- 150 ml warm water
2 1/2 tbsp butter

for Filling:
3-4 pieces of sandwich ham– cut into thin strips
5 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg– beaten, for glaze

Method:

1. In the mixing bowl mix well the first 5 ingredients then add in egg. With dough hook attached and starts kneading, slowing add water to form a dough. Add a little more water if necessary. Drop in butter and continue to knead the dough until it doesn’t stick to the bowl and pass the “membrane” test. (pull a small piece of the dough, use two hand to stretch the dough to a very thin layer– if the layer doesn’t tear then the dough is ready to proof. Otherwise, continue kneading until it passes the test).
2. Transfer the dough to a big bowl. Wrap the bowl and leave it on a warm spot to rest/proof until double in size.  (To speed up the resting time a little you can sit the bowl on a moist hot towel, or sit the bowl on top of a pot of hot water).
3. Lightly knead the dough on a board a few times to punch out big air pockets trapped inside. Roll out to a 9×13 inch rectangle of 1/2 inch thickness. Spread shredded cheese evenly (be sure to cover the edges too), followed ham strips. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll/Swiss roll. Pinch to seal the edge. Cut rolls into 18 even pieces. Place each piece (cut side up) on greased glass pan, leaving a little space between each. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight (see note below).
4. Let the chilled dough sit in room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 375°F. Apply egg wash on the top of the rolls and bake in preheated 375°f oven for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

Regina’s Note:

• Dough resting time: for 2nd resting time, 45 minutes to 1 hour is adequate. But I found resting the dough in the fridge overnight yields a much fluffier texture to the buns.

Ham and Cheese Rolls-- ready to roll up.

Ham and Cheese Rolls-- ready for second dough resting.

Oh, a word about the photo below– I am not quite happy how it came out but it is the best one I have. I guess I’ll have to make some more clam chowder again in order to take some better pictures.

Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder Recipe (serves 6-8 people)

Ingredients:
1 gigantic can (51oz) chopped sea clam from Costco
2 bottles (8 oz each) of clam juice
3 cups water
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1 medium onion– diced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp flour
5 tbsp whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

thickening agent (mix together):
4-6 tbsp cream of wheat
4-6 tbsp water (same amount as cream of wheat)

Method:

1. Boil potatoes until just soft. Drain. Cool slightly and cut into strips.
2. In a deep pot, add a little oil and saute onion until tender. Add in clam meat, clam juice and water. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat. turn down the heat to medium and let it simmer.
3. Prepare roux: In a small sauce pan add butter and flour over medium low heat. Whisk constantly with a balloon whisk, until the roux is pale brown and fragrant. Take care not to burn the roux.
4. Scoop out some liquid from the deep pot to the roux, use the whisk to mix well. The roux mixture will be thicken at first. Keep whisking in soup liquid to the roux mixture, until the roux mixture is thinner. Pour roux mixture back to the deep pot, whisk to combine.
5. Add cooked potatoes, ground black pepper, and thickening agent. Stir over medium heat until it starts to bubble and thicken. Stir in whipping cream. Enjoy!

Regina’s Note:

• Since there’s enough salt in the canned chopped clam meat and clam juice, I omit salt in the cooking.
• Cream of Wheat: Instead of using more butter and flour to make the roux to thicken up the soup, I use cream of wheat as it is much healthier and does a very good job thickening the soup.

Banana Nut Pancakes

Banana Nut Pancake Recipe (makes 15 pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large ripe bananas
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp butter– melted and cooled
2 eggs
handful of chopped toasted walnuts

Method:

1. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a big bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Add in milk, vanilla extract, melted butter and eggs. Hand whisk to combine.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture all at once. Stir until the batter just combined. The batter will look lumpy– DO NOT overstir. Add in chopped walnuts and stir once to incorporate walnuts into batter.
4. Cook as you will with regular pancakes. Serve hot with butter, maple syrup and whipped cream.

Regina’s Note:

• Cooked pancakes may be frozen for quick breakfast, just heat up in the microwave.

Things I do differently this time: I placed the kueh on cut-out parchemnt paper, instead of greased cut-out banana leaves– and the kueh don’t stick to the bottom paper at all. Also, I don’t brush kueh skin with oil after steaming. For the filling, you can make anything you want, as long as it is cooked.  I have tried on shredded daikon and jicama, and both times turn out pretty good.

Steamed "Kueh" Dumplings with Shredded Daikon filling

Steamed "Kueh" Dumplings with Shredded Daikon filling. I used banana leave as liners for this batch.

Steamed “Kueh” Dumplings with Shredded Daikon filling (makes about 30 pieces)

Ingredients:

For the skin:
4 cup glutinous rice flour
3/4 cup wheat starch 澄面粉
1 1/2 — 2 cup hot water
6 tbsp oil

shredded daikon filling or jicama filling– recipes follow
30 pieces parchment paper (4″ x 4″) or blanched banana leaves

Method:

1. Mix flour and wheat starch together in a big bowl. Add in hot water and oil to form a dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Add more hot water, little at a time, if the dough is too dry. Divide into 20 pieces. Divide filling into 20 portions as well.
2. Roll out each piece of dough to about 4-inch circle. Spoon in one portion of shredded daikon filling, fold up dough skin and pinch to seal the edge. Place the kueh/dumpling on a piece of parchment paper (sealed side facing up), or lightly greased banana leaves. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
3. Place several kueh/dumplings inside a steamer, and steam on high heat for 8-10 minutes. Be sure not to put too many dumplings in one batch, so there is room for the steam to come up from the water boiling at the bottom.

For shredded daikon filling:

Ingredients:
1.5 lb daikon– peel and shred
4 tbsp dried shrimps– finely chopped
3 cloves garlic– chopped
3 dried mushroom– soak to soften, slice thin
2 stalk green onion– chopped
1 cup hot water

Seasoning:
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Put shredded daikon in a bowl and pour in generous amount of salt. Toss and squeeze daikon. Set aside for 15-20 minutes so daikon softened and liquid draws out. Rinse daikon a couple times. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
2. Put 3 tbsp of oil into a wok over high heat. When the wok is ready, saute garlic and dried shrimps until aromatic.
3. Add in mushrooms, saute for a couple of minutes before adding in daikon. Keep stirring until it is aromatic. Add seasoning, adjust to taste.
4. Stir and cook until daikon softens, adding some hot water, little by little, if necessary to cook daikon further to soften. Put in chopped green onion. Stir a few more times then dish out and cool.

For Jicama Filling:
1.5 lb jicama– peel and cut into thin strips– see note below
2 inch carrot– cut into thin strips
5 dried mushroom– soak to soften, slice thin
3 tbsp dried shrimps– finely chopped
2 cloves garlic– finely chopped
2 stalk green onion– chopped
1 cup hot water

seasoning:
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
dashes ground white pepper
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Put 3 tbsp of oil into a wok over high heat. When the wok is ready, saute garlic and dried shrimps until aromatic.
2. Add in mushrooms and carrots, saute for a couple of minutes before adding in jicama. Keep stirring until it is aromatic. Add seasoning, adjust to taste.
3. Stir and cook until jicama turns soft but still taste slightly crunchy, adding some hot water, little by little, if necessary to cook jicama further to soften. Put in chopped green onion, stir a few more times then dish out and cool.

Regina’s Note:

• Jicama strips: Unlike dough made from flour, glutinous dough is not very elastic– it crumbs and break apart easily. So it’s better to cut jicama to very thin and shorter strips, so the filling won’t poke through the dough.

Recently I picked up a pack of beef short rib cut at Costco, then I suddenly remembered my favorite Fuzio’s firecracker pork pasta– I decided to try replicate the flavor. I searched the recipe online and found out I had most ingredients, so here comes my new beef stew/pasta dish…

How did it turn out? Well, since the restaurant closed long time ago there’s no way I can compare side by side, but I did remember the familiar flavor! I would say it’s pretty darn close to what Fuzio served. The other thing is that I found habanero cilantro aioli and sour cream are a must for this pasta dish– they complement each other well and give the pasta a full body taste, with a hint of heat to break up the richness in flavor.

Beef Stew Cavatappi Pasta

Beef Stew Cavatappi Pasta Recipe– adapted from this free recipe website (serves 6-8 people)

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs beef short rib cut– cut into 1.5 inch size chunks

Marinade:
1/2 pineapple– remove the core– see note below
1 bunch cilantro– see note below
2 stalks green onion
5 cloves garlic
5 tbsp ginger
1 medium onion
6 tbsp sugar– see note below
1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water
2 packs (about 1 lb each) cavatappi pasta (spiral tube shape pasta)
habanero cilantro aioli– recipe follows
sour cream

Method:

1. Blend all marinade ingredients until fine (soy sauce) in a food processor. Add in soy sauce and beef. Marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.
2. Drain beef but keep the marinade. Add little oil in a frying pan, pan fry beef to brown the surface. Pour in marinade and add in  water. At this point you may also transfer beef to a deep pot for stewing.
3. Cover, stew on high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stew until the beef is tender, at least 1 hour, depending what type/cut of meat you use. Be sure to stir occasionally so the meat won’t stick to the bottom of the pan/pot. Slightly shred the beef with a fork.
4. Cook cavatappi pasta according package instruction.
5. Serve beef stew with pasta, with a dollop of habanero cilantro aioli and sour cream on the top. Mix well before eating as the aioli and sour cream add a little heat and creamy touch to the flavor.

Habanero cilantro aioli (blend all ingredients in a food processor, add little more olive oil if necessary):
1 bunch cilantro– see note below
3 cloves garlic
1 habanero pepper– see note below
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil

Regina’s Note:

• This beef stew is towards a stronger flavor, so it goes well with Chinese dry tossed noodles, or even steam rice!
• Beef tri tip or beef for stew can also be used. Pork (tenderloin, roast pork butt) can be used too. Trim off excess fat if necessary. Please note cooking time may vary.
• Pineapple & Sugar: if canned pineapple juice is used, skip the sugar.
• Cilantro: try to use as much leafy part as possible, especially for habanero cilantro aioli.
• Habanero: the pepper was very HOT, but after the aioli was made the spicy level tones down to mild.

This cake is kinda like my banana chiffon cake, except it is baked in a rectangle 9 by 13 inch glass baking pan. Although it is much lighter and fluffy than average cakes, it is still a little denser than a chiffon cake. Oh, the cake bottom stuck on the baking pan even though I sprayed with cooking oil. Next time I should grease the pan really well before pouring in cake batter. One nice and crunchy touch is the coconut and walnut sprinkles on the top, especially the finely shredded coconut– it gives a nice sweet crunch and flavor to the cake. Love it !

Fluffy Banana Cake

Fluffy Banana Cake

Fluffy Banana Cake Recipe (makes one 9 x 13 inch pan)

Ingredients:

for yolk mixture:
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp sugar
2 ripe bananas– mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp unsalted butter– melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

for egg white mixture:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp sugar

for sprinkles:
finely shredded sweetened coconut
chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Prepare yolk mixture: In a large mixing bowl whisk yolks and sugar with a balloon whisk, until it is pale yellow and fluffy. Mix in mashed bananas, vanilla extract, butter and salt to combine. Sift in cake flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon combined, in 2 batches. Mix until no dry ingredients appear.
2. Prepare egg white mixture: In a separate bowl, whip egg white and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add in sugar, one tbsp at a time, and whip on high speed until soft peak (whipped egg white should have a little curl at the end tip when lifted up).
3. Gently FOLD IN whipped egg whites to yolk mixture, in 3 batches. Pour cake batter into a well greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Sprinkle grated coconut and walnuts on the top. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring out to continue cooling on a rack.

Regina’s Note:

• Baking pan: grease the pan really well or use parchment paper for lining to prevent cake sticking at the bottom.
• Baking time: I baked at 350°F oven for 20 minutes and I noticed the edges of the cake are a little dry. Try 325°/20-30 minutes next time?

Now, the problem solved with the help of “bamboe” brand rendang instant spices paste. One of my Chinese drawing classmates made rendang beef with instant spice paste for our potluck gathering last year, and it turned out very delicious– the sauce was rich in flavor and the beef was very tender. I finally tried out the instant spice the other day; it was very easy indeed as per instructions. All you need are cut beef chunks, instant spice paste and coconut milk, nothing else– not even salt! And yet, the result is very promising restaurant style gourmet food that will impress everyone. Try it out for your next potluck.

Rendang Beef

Rendang Beef (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb beef– see note below
2 packs “bamboe” Brand rendang instant spices paste– see picture below
2 cans (about 14 fl. oz. each) coconut milk– see note below

Method:

1. Cut beef into bite size chunks. Boil beef in a large pot along with 3-4 slices of fresh ginger (optional– to remove any beef meaty smell). Be sure there is enough water to cover the beef during boiling. Cover and cook over medium heat for at least 1 hour, until the meat is tender. Remove beef and discard ginger.
2. Put beef, instant spices paste and coconut milk in another pot. Stir the sauce to blend well. Cook over medium heat, uncovered and stir occasionally, until the sauce thickens to a gravy stage– at this point there will be oil forming from the bubbling sauce and the sauce looks like spicy oily mud (if you cook longer there will be more oil (from coconut milk) forming). Serves hot with steamed rice.

Regina’s Note:

• Beef: I like to use beef tri tip cut as it has some marble fat, but you can also use beef cuts for stew.
• Coconut milk: Regardless of what brand I use, I always check the nutrition fact for the total fat content– the higher the percentage the better, meaning it has more coconut milk instead of water. One of the highest percentage I found is 27% (Yep, that is why rendang dishes is only a rare occasion treat due to its fat content )
• Spiciness: The spices paste is not spicy at all. I have to add 1-2 tbsp of homemade sambal chilli sauce to make it a little spicy.

Rendang Beef-- the instant spices paste

I met Luisa through the Nishihiras, close friends of our family. She is a very good cook, and runs a gourmet food catering business. We are always drooling over the pictures of delicious food that she made. If you have catering needs for any occasions, check out her catering website. I am sure you won’t be disappointed!

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Anyhow, this is what I have been trying to replicate after all my mochi puff trials. I’m not giving up yet, wish me luck!

Mochi Puff (Premix)-- all I did was adding water and 1 egg to the premix.

Mochi Puff (Premix)-- here is the texture of the dough.

Mochi Puff (Premix)-- spraying sowm water on the dough before baking.

Mochi Puff (Premix)-- after baking, they puff up beautifully round. See how nicely they crack on the surface too?

Mochi Puff (Premix)-- a close up look of a mochi puff. It is very light, airy and hollow in the center while crispy on the surface.

Mochi Puff Trial #3

Mochi Puff Trial #3

Ingredients:
2/3 cup + 2 tbsp tapioca flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp bread flour
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
1 egg
1/2 tbsp oil
50 ml water

Method:

1. Preheat oven t 350°F. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl to form a dough. Knead to blend well. Divide and roll into 12-15 balls.
2. Place balls on baking pan lined with parchment paper. Spray some water on the balls. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on the rack. Serve immediately while they are still soft and chewy in the center while crispy on the surface. As they cool down they turn more chewy and harder.

Mochi Puff Trial #3

Mochi Puff Trial #3