Steamed Smiling Pandan Cake/ Pandan Huat Kuih

While browsing my Instagram the other day, I came across an easy huat kuih recipe and prompted me to give it a try.  I had all the ingredients at home and with some modification, this recipe was created.  This recipe yields 6 cupcakes and the resulted steamed cake was soft with a slight pandan flavor.   I hope you like it. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Birch Benders Organic Classic pancake & waffle mix

3/4 cup organic all- purpose flour 

1/4 cup cane sugar 

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. Pandan extract or flavor extract of your choice

 Methods:

1.  In a large bowl, add pancake mix, flour, and sugar together.   Whisk to combine. 

2.  In another bowl,  add water and extract.   Whisk to blend well. 

3.  Pour the liquid mixture into the large bowl.   Whisk to blend well.   The batter is going to be thick and slimy.

4.  Scoop into 6 cupcakes and steam in high heat for 25 minutes.   No peeking during the process. 

5.  Let it cool on wire rack.   Enjoy!

Blueberry Imitation Bagel

This recipe yields 4 imitation bagels.  I saw the recipe on Instagram and decided to give it a try.  It said bagel, but it didn't taste like bagel, more like a soft bread with crispy crust when hot.  It actually tasted pretty good and fairly easy to make.  I won't mind making it again when I have some yogurt at home.  I did some modification on the recipe,  though. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yogurt 

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. All- purpose flour

1/2 tsp. Baking powder 

2 Tbsp. Maple syrup or honey

1/3 cup blueberries 

Method:

1.  Mixed all ingredients in a bowl.  Knead until a sticky dough is formed.   Divide into 4 pieces and make a hold into each one like the shape of a bagel. 

2.  Place into a parchment lined air fryer and air-fry at 350'F for 9 minutes.  Flip over and air-fry at 400'F for 4 minutes.  Cool on wire rack and serve warm. 

Matcha Chocolate Chips Mochi Cookies

This cookie is not very sweet with the hint of matcha and chocolate chips.  Crispy and chewy at the same time, very addicting.  You can double or triple the recipe!

This recipe yields 8 addicting cookies:

1 cup glutinous rice flour

1/6 cup maple syrup ( if you don’t know what is 1/6 cup, it is half of the 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup of water

1/4 Tbsp baking powder 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate chip to suit

1/2 tsp of good quality matcha

Methods:

1.  In a big bowl, add in glutinous rice flour, baking powder, whisk well.

2.  Then, add in vanilla extract, maple syrup, and water.  Stir and blend well until a soft dough is form.  

3.  Split the dough into 2 parts, add one part with the matcha powder, blend well.  If the white dough is a bit runny, add a tsp of glutinous rice flour.  The dough should be thick, smooth, and slightly runny.

4.  Preheat oven to 425’F.  In a lined baking sheet, spread some white dough, top it with matcha dough, and decorate chocolate chips on top.  Finish the rest.

5.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Transfer to the wire rack to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Asian Style Napa Cabbage Salad

 

Normally I would like to cook something new.  If I see an interesting recipe on social media, I would like to re-create it.  Especially if I have all the ingredients at home.  This recipe was such a case, and I liked it a lot.  Will definitely in my rotation for the next time.  I hope you like it,  too!

Ingredients:

About 2 cups/ 1 bowl of thinly sliced Napa cabbage 

1 organic carrot,  thinly sliced

1/4 cup of chopped green onion

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro 

1/4 cup of roasted peanuts 

1 Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

Pink salt to taste

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp maple syrup 

2 Tbsp sesame oil

Sprinkles of crushed black pepper

Methods:

1.  In a big bowl, add about 1 Tbsp of pink salt to the cut Napa cabbage and let it sweat for at least half an hour.

2.  Squeeze the Napa cabbage dry and add the carrot, green onion, cilantro,  and peanuts.  Mix well.

3.  Then add the seasoning of vinegar,  soy sauce, maple syrup,  sesame oil, black pepper, and sesame seeds.  Mix and blend all together.  You can do a taste test and adjust seasonings accordingly.   I normally don't like my food too salty.  Serve cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Homemade Almond Croissants

 

How to turn a Costco croissant into an almond croissant?  It was fairly easy actually and can save a almond croissant lover a ton of money by doing it at home.  All you need is almond flour and almond extract, and the rest of the ingredients you would probably have it at home. 

All you need to do is to make a simple frangipane and air-fry the croissant in the air fryer at 350'F for 5 minutes. 

Frangipane

1 large egg

1/2 cup almond flour 

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, soften

1/2 tsp. Almond extract 

1/4 tsp. Himalayan rock salt

Methods 

1.  Whisk egg, butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt together.   Then, add almond flour and whisk together into a paste.

2.  Cut the Costco's croissant into half and spread the paste inside.  Top the croissant with some more paste and sprinkle sliced almond on top.

3.  Air-fry in the air fryer at 350'F for 5 minutes.   Serve!

Stir-fried Baby Cauliflower

I found this baby cauliflower at Trader's Joe the other day and decided to give it a try.  Believe it or not,  I had never tasted it before and was really curious about how it tasted like.

When presented with some thing that I had never cooked before,  I decided to make it vegetarian and simple.  Baby cauliflower is not bad at all, it will widen my vegetable selection for our palates. 

 Ingredients:

1 bag of baby cauliflower from Trader's Joe,  wash and cut it like the above pictures 

1/2 block of organic firm tofu, cut, pat dry, and air-fry for 15 minutes at 400'F.  Set aside.

1 organic carrot, sliced

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped 

Chinese rice wine

Oyster sauce/ vegetarian oyster sauce

1/4 tsp. mushrooms powder 

Methods:

1.  Heat up wok, when heated, add in olive oil.  Add garlic, and stir-fry until lightly golden and add carrot and baby cauliflower.  Mix well.

2.  Add Chinese rice wine, fry well.  Add some water and cover the wok to let the vegetable soften.

3.  When soften, add in fried tofu, mix well.  Add in oyster sauce to taste and 1/4 tsp. of mushrooms powder.  Mix well and serve hot.  Enjoy!