POOR MAN'S BIRDNESTS

15/6/2019
Saturday

Sago pudding with   "birdnest" 

When you visit the GK organic farm  you can purchase whatever vegetables that are in season from them.  During our trip, besides the sweet potatoes, winter-melon was in season then.  And having tasted their dessert of Chilled Grated winter-melon, I bough home half a winter melon.  Besides just making soup (commonly sweet with barley or savoury with pork ribs) here is  another fun way to eat wintermelon.  

This is my rendition of the chilled dessert.  Sago pudding coloured with the bluepea flowers but the sago were a bit undercooked this time as there are still bits of white.  Chill the sago pudding till set. 

Meanwhile grate the winter-melon and set aside.  Boil some rock sugar syrup.  Add the wintermelon and simmer till cooked.  Set aside to cool in the fridge. 

Serve well chilled...perfect for a hot day.  

CHAN CLAN DUMPLINGS

9/5/2019
SUNDAY

Pan-fried and boiled dumplings. 

As the girls were not going out to their activities, I decided to make dumplings and surprisingly Sarah was eager to learn.  It's time to pass the baton to her.    

First making the dough- plain flour with warm salty water mixed and kneaded together to form a smooth dough and then rested for at least half an hour. 

testing whether the dough is ready.

 

Filling: Minced pork, diced prawns, salt, pepper, sesame oil, dash of cooking wine and egg to in bind.

This time I used sliced leeks as I could not get Chinese chives from the market.  You can also add shredded cabbage/Chinese cabbage. 

Mix together till sticky 

She has to learn how to pleat the dumpling together 

Heat pan add oil and place in the dumplings  and on low heat, let them cook till the bottom is slightly  golden brown 

splash a bowl of water and quickly cover the pan and let them steamed till cook through. 

The other half of the dumplings were boiled and served.  

Boiled and pan-fry dumplings served with dipping sauce of black vinegar and ginger slices, accompanied by freshly brewed rose tea...   

As I have cleared and harvested some pandan leaves from my garden I prepared some pandan paste- simply blend the leave with some water.  Sieved the juice into a jar and leave jar in the fridge at 2-3 days.    Decided to make use of the pandan paste (which is the thick paste at bottom of the jar) to bake this Pandan Layer Cake.  Baked sponge vanilla cake no problem.... but  I made a blunder --  when pouring the kaya custard I accidentally knock against the lock of  the springform pan,  as a result you can see the very uneven sides...urgh.... 

But taste still good... no artificial colouring at all. 

VISIT TO GK ORGANIC FARM

8/6/2019
SATURDAY

What wonderful company, old friends, new friends and its a small world after all when we realised that we do have mutual friends.  

She knows all about my ailments and I know about her family and she stay nearby my house and is a patient and friend to her and a church member with my classmate and neighbour, so you see its a small world after all... confusing??? 

The cool shed...

welcome drinks: roselle tea, marigold flower tea, blue pea flower  tea and mulberry tea

marigold tea

thick delicious pumpkin soup... 

grilled eggplant and spicy hummus with chickpeas

The sweet potato leaves are so delicious and "sweet"

Sweet millet with black eye bean "cake"

Purple sweet potatoes 

This is yummylicious dip with pieces of their sourdough bread. 

Alkaline drink. 

Sweeten grated winter-melon -served chilled... 

Biodynamic rice with kerabu..

Actually the farm tour before the buffet lunch. 

the huge compost pile. 

plenty of these dragonflies flitting along the small brook

Green wrapper for the Ulam Raja. 

APPLE FRANGIPANE WITH PRETZEL CRUST

6/6/2019
It was Raya long weekend holiday.

You are the apple of my eye!

Pretzels and melted butter for the base. 

My sister has given me 2 bags of these mini pretzels cookies from her trip to Melbourne.  I came across a recipe using these to make a pie crust. (see Davidlebovitz blog) and so its time to bake a tart.

Ground almonds, flour, eggs, apples and of course, pure almond extract. 

I choose apples as there are readily available in my fridge (ps the doggies love the apples after their meals!) 

I processed the pretzels in the food processor, mix with mleted butter and press into the tart tin and into the oven to bake for around 15 minutes.  While the crust is baking in the oven, mix the ingredients for the frangipane batter and slice the apples. 

Once the crust has cooled, spread the batter evenly and decorate with the sliced apples. 

Voila..... lovely moist almond cake .

My baked doughnuts without using yeast.

Once the doughnuts are cooled, it's time to coat them over with chocolate glaze. 

dipped in chocolate....yummy. 

Baked doughnuts have a cake-like texture but these are soft and moist.