No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

These healthy, nutritious crunchy crisps are always a favourite in my family during the festive season.   Not much preparation is needed to produce these crisps and only a few ingredients are required but the end result is unbelievably addictive, fragrant and yummy crisps which are difficult to refrain! Recipe for Orange Sesame Almond Crisps    杏仁片脆饼 (adapted from   'here'  with mofidication) Ingredients 1.1/2 eggs 45 g sugar 23 gm plain flour, sifted 15 gm almond meal 150 gm almond flakes Zest from 1 orange black sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence Method Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla till sugar has dissolved. Stir in the sifted flour, almond meal, almond flakes, orange zest and black sesame seeds, mix till just combined. Drop half teaspoon of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and using the back of the spoon, spread batter thinly leaving a space of about 1.

These nutty chewies can be quite addictive and they serve as a wonderful snack while watching your favourite movies during the festive season.  They can also double up as a gift to relatives and friends. Recipe for Sunflower Sesame Candy ~       葵花芝麻 糖       Ingredients 130 gm sunflower seeds, toasted 30 gm sesame seeds, fry till golden brown 60 gm caster sugar 30 ml water 1/2 Tbsp maltose 1/4 tsp vinegar Method Fry sesame seeds till golden brown. Bring to the boil, water and sugar, till sugar has dissolved. Add in maltose and vinegar, cook till thick and syrupy.  (Droplet forms in water means the syrup is fine). Mix in the sunflower seeds followed by the sesame seeds. Pour the mixture onto a parchment lined chopping board, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, roll with a rolling pin to as thin as you  can. Let cool, cut it up or randomly break into pieces. Keep the candy in an airtight con

These Sesame Peanut Butter cookies are not only fragrant and crispy but they do store well for some time in an air-tight container.  Perhaps you may consider adding this recipe to your CNY cookie list as well. Recipe for Sesame Peanut Butter Cookies ~  芝麻花生曲 奇 Ingredients 4 oz butter 2.1/2 oz brown sugar 2.1/2 oz caster sugar 4 oz creamy or chunky peanut butter 1 egg 5 oz plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda a pinch of salt 2 tsp black sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1 tsp vanilla Method Sift flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.  Set aside. Cream butter with the brown and caster sugar till creamy.  Add in the peanut butter, followed by the egg and vanilla. Fold in the sifted flour and black sesame seeds, mix till just combined. Cover with cling wrap and let rest in the fridge for 2  hours. Roll out into 1.1/4 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1.1/2 inches apart. Bake in a prehea

I'm sure that many of us are now planning a cookie list for the coming Chinese New Year.   I made these during the holidays and they were well received by my family members.   These cookies are quick and easy to make with crunchy cornflakes and  chewy cranberries.  Furthermore they are delicious and absolutely addictive! Recipe for Cranberry Cornflake Cookies     蔓越梅玉米曲 奇 Ingredients 250 gm butter 5 oz/140 gm caster sugar 10 oz/280 gm self-raising flour 160 gm cornflakes, crushed and more for coating 100 gm cranberries 2 Tbsp milk 2 tsp vanilla a pinch of salt Method 1.      Cream butter with sugar and vanilla till creamy. 2.      Add in sifted flour on low speed till just combined. 3.      Add milk and mix till dough just comes together. 4.      Stir in the crushed cornflakes and cranberries till well combined. 5.      Roll the dough into balls, and coat with some crushed cornflakes. 6.      Place the balls of dough on a parchment lined ba

We spent the weekend up in Cameron Highlands, the leading producer of fresh flowers in Malaysia.  I was lucky enough to snap some pictures of the beautiful flowers in the garden of the bungalow we stayed in, albeit intermittent rain and grey skies. Hibiscus of different colours and different number of petals Dahlia Birds of Paradise So excited to catch this bee entering the flower bud for honey Anthurium Very minute fungus growing on a rotting tree stump Lavender Calla Lily

Misua or Mee Sua is a very fine, thin variety of  noodles made from wheat flour and originated from Fujian, China.  Misua signifies long life in Chinese culture, hence very often this is served during birthdays and during Chinese New Year.  For this heart warming stir-fry, I used the thick variety of Hock Chew Misua from Sitiawan, added in a few ingredients and it turned out just delicious! Recipe for Stir-fry Misua   炒面线 Ingredients 100 gm pork or chicken fillet, cut into strips 100 gm vegetables of your choice 3 Shitake mushrooms, soaked till soft, cut into strips 1 egg 4 pips of garlic, chopped 2 servings of Misua 1 tsp or more dark soya sauce Sesame oil Oil for frying Seasoning for meat 2 tsp oyster sauce 1 tsp light soya sauce 1/4 tsp sugar Dash of salt Method In a pot of boiling water, cook the Misua, strain, drain, set aside. Heat up some oil in a wok and fry the egg.  Dish out and set aside. Saute the garlic till fragrant, add in

This is another homey dish which will pair very well with plain white porridge.  I spotted this dish in an economy rice stall the other day and then I remembered that I haven't had this dish for a long, long time....... Recipe for Mince Meat with Anchovies    葱炒肉碎江鱼 仔 Ingredients 250 gm  minced pork, seasoned with a pinch of salt 50 gm anchovies 1 onion, sliced 1 chilli, sliced 1 Tbsp tau cheong/bean paste Sugar to taste Method Heat up some oil in a pan and shallow fry the anchovies till light brown and a bit crispy. Dish out, set aside. Saute the bean paste till fragrant, add in the minced pork, stir-fry till cooked. If dish is too dry, sprinkle on some water, add in the sliced onions, stir-fry. Toss in the chilli and the anchovies and add sugar to taste. Dish out and serve.

Happy New Year, everyone!   My first post for 2015 is 'Wife Biscuit' aka 'Lo Por Paeng', a soft and flaky pastry with winter melon filling which is a very popular delicacy in Hong Kong.  The ones that I find here are not the same as their  flaky counterparts, instead they are crispy and thin.   I've been surfing the internet for a recipe and I was very happy when I stumbled upon a Youtube video from SiuKitchen .   The video is in Cantonese and she gives very detailed steps on how to make these flaky pastries.   The pastries were good and stayed flaky and soft for three days in an airtight container.  I needn't have to reheat them in the oven toaster. Recipe for Wife Biscuit (Lo Por Paeng)   老婆餅  Ingredients Filling 120 gm candied winter melon, finely chopped 5 ml oil 15 gm caster sugar 40 gm koh fun 50 ml water Method Add sugar to the chopped winter melon, mix in the oil, water and mix lightly together. Add in koh fu