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

  It's year end again, will be saying áuld lang syne' to 2024' in relatively 2 weeks and soon will be ushering in the new year, 2025.  This Pistachio muffin will be great to greet you on the morning of Christmas, a light breakfast after all the gourmet food at X'mas eve dinner.  Pistachio Muffins ~ 开心果玛芬                               Ingredients 100 gm caster sugar 1/2 cup oil 3/4 cup milk 2 'L' eggs 250 gm self-raising flour 1 tsp vanilla 100 gm pistachio, chopped Icing sugar to dust Method In a large mixing bowl, whisk oil and sugar till well incorporated.  Add in the milk, vanilla mix well and break in the eggs.  Whisk till well combined. Sift in the self-raising flour and fold till just combined. Mix in the chopped pistacho. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full. Bake in a preheated oven @ 200 deg.C for about 20 mins. till muffins are bro...

  I tried making these chocolate chip cookies with oil as I ran out of butter.  Always curious to try out any new ingredients I gave it a go.  I wasn't disappointed at all as the cookies turned out delicious and tasted good, except that I should have added in some brown sugar to give them a better darker colour. Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookies  (Made with oil) ~  用油制成的巧克力曲奇 Ingredients 3/4 cup oil 2 eggs 180 gm caster sugar (or half caster and half light brown sugar) 270 gm plain flour 1 teasp baking soda 1/4 teasp salt 1 teasp vanilla 250 gm semi sweet chocolate chips Method Sift the plain flour, baking soda, salt, set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat oil, sugar and eggs till creamy. Fold in the sifted flour, mix till well incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips and mix well.  (Dough is a bit wet). Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap and refridgerate for about 30 mins. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up the dough and place about 2 inches apart on a parch...

  This is an extremely delicious dish to go with white rice or even plain porridge.  You don't have to add in big spoonfuls of shrimp paste for it is salty but some sugar is needed to enhance the taste.  Adding in Shaoxing wine will definitely bring the taste up to the next level.  You'll definitely need more rice to go with this dish..... trust me! Steamed Pork Belly with Shrimp Paste  ~   蝦醬蒸五花腩 Ingredients 300 gm pork belly, cut thinly (with or without skin) 1.5 Tsp Shrimp paste  2 Tsp sugar 1 Tbsp Shaosing wine 3 slices of ginger, chopped  1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1.5 to 2 Tbsp water 1 tsp oil (so that the meat will not stick to each other) a bit of pepper Chillies and spring onions, chopped for garnishing Method Cut up the pork belly thinly. Mix in the chopped ginger. Mix the shrimp paste with wine to dilute it. Pour the shrimp paste mixture into the pork belly. Add in some pepper, sugar, cornstarch, oil and water.  Mix till well ...

This recipe is very similar to the Orange Cake with Oil which I posted a while ago.  The difference is that I mixed lemon juice with orange juice and thrown in some plumped dried cranberries for good measure.  If totally lemon juice is used the taste will be very sour, so by mixing with a higher ratio of orange juice, there is a balance between sweetness and tartness.  This moist cake can be served as a dessert or for breakfast or as a snack. Lemon Orange Cranberry cake with oil Ingredients 3 'L' eggs 150 gm caster sugar 150 ml oil 50 ml lemon juice 100 ml orange juice 220 gm plain flour 2 tsp baking powder zest from 1 lemon a pinch of salt 40 gm dried cranberries, plumped in a black Tea, for extra flavour. Method Sift the flour with baking powder, salt, set aside. Soak the dried cranberries in a hot tea for about 5 mins.  Strain and pat dry.  Sprinkle on some of the flour from above. In a mixing bowl, mix the lemon zest with sugar using a ball whisk till well c...

  This soup is not only delicious, it's nourishing as well.  It can be served on its own or with some vermicelli, noodles or a hot bowl of white rice with a vegetable on the side.  An easy one pot meal especially on a wet and rainy day. Cordycep Flower and Mushroom Chicken Soup   ~   蟲草花冬菇鸡湯 Ingredients 350 gm free range chicken drumsticks 12 seedless red dates 8 dried scallops  8 shitake mushrooms 8 gm dried cordycep flowers 1 Tbsp goji berries 1 lt water 3 ginger slices Salt to taste Method Rinse the dried scallops, cordycep flowers, set aside. Soak the shitake mushrooms till soft, cut off the stem.  Set aside. Blanch the drumsticks in hot water with the ginger slices for about 5 minutes. Rinse the drumsticks in water.   In a pot of 1 lt water, add in the drumsticks, red dates, cordycep flowers and bring to a boil.  Then turn on to low heat and after half hour, add in the dried scallops.  Continue to simmer for abou...

  This is my first attempt baking a chiffon cake without using the chiffon cake pan but instead with a normal round 7 inch pan and a parchment lined base to ensure a smooth surface for 'frosting' the cake with almond spread.  And I inverted the cake with the support of 2 overturned glasses.  I adapted the recipe from anncoo's Pistachio Chiffon Cake but I substituted  ground pistachio with almond meal.  The cake turned out well, delicious, light  and soft like any other chiffon cake. Almond Chiffon Cake  ~  杏仁戚风蛋糕     ( Adapted from 'here'. ) Ingredients (A)                                                             4 egg yolks, (70 gm) with shell 45 gm caster sugar 45 gm vegetable oil 30 gm almond meal 60 gm plain flour 2 Tbsp cornflour 1/8 tsp salt 60 gm almond spread 50 gm milk Almo...

  This is a very simple, easy to prepare, fuss-free dish which will go very well with plain white rice.  Also a very popular dish with kids and adults alike.  If the kids cannot accept too much chilli, you can omit it and the chilli sauce too.   All you need to do is just to dump all the ingredients into the wok and  cook.  Here's how ........ Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs ~  甜醋排骨 Ingredients 500 gm pork ribs, cut into 2 inch lengths 60 gm shallots          30 gm garlic                10 gm ginger            2 bird eye chillies      2 tsp chilli sauce 1 tsp tomato sauce 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups water 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar, or to taste Thickening -  1.1/2 tsp cornflour + 1 Tbsp water Preparation Wash the pork ribs and blanch them in hot wa...

  A quick and easy pumpkin stir-fry,  just that I partnered it with some bittergourd to infuse  with the sweetness of pumpkin.  A comforting and healthy dish and it's delicious to load spoonfuls of it onto a bowl of hot plain white rice. Pumpkin and Bittergourd Stir-fry ~   南瓜炒苦瓜 Ingredients 150 gm kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), thinly sliced with skin 150 gm bittergourd, sliced 10 gm dried shrimps 3 pips of garlic chopped 1/4 cup water or more if needed Light soy sauce to taste Oil for frying Some curry leaves (optional) Method Add some salt into the sliced bittergourd, let sit for about 15 mins.  Squeeze out any juice, rinse.  This helps to extract some bitterness from the bittergourd. In a pan, saute the dried shrimp, garlic and curry leaves till fragrant. Toss in the kabocha and stir-fry.  Add some water to cook the kabocha.  When it's semi-cooked, add in the bittergourd, continue to stir-fry, add water if necessary. Use a fork t...

This is a srummy moist cake with minimum prep time that you'll want to make it time and again.  This walnut yoghurt cake with a hint of sourish yoghurt is tender and delicious and can be served as a mid morning snack.  Or just treat yourself to a slice with a cuppa in the afternoon. Walnut Yoghurt Cake ~    核桃優格蛋糕          Ingredients 90 gm plain flour 90 gm walnut meal 1 Tsp baking powder 1/2 Tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/4 Tsp seasalt 2 'L'eggs 90 gm caster sugar 1/2 cup oil 180 gm plain yoghurt (at room temperature) 1 Tsp vanilla 1 Tsp orange or lemon zest (optional) Icing sugar to dust (optional) Method With an electric whisk, beat eggs with sugar and zest till creamy and pale. Add in oil, beat well. Add in yoghurt and vanilla and continue beating till well incorporated. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a parchment lined 4.5 x 8.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan.  Spread evenly. Bake in a preheated o...

  I like to steam fish as it has less fat which makes it healthy, easy and most of all, the kitchen is non-greasy which means less cleaning for me!  But steaming fish with herbs is my first attempt and I must admit that it's delicious and the herbal gravy pairs very well with plain white rice. Oh, look at that, the chewy muscle of the fish tail ....... simply yummy! Ingredients 400 gm Garoupa - tail portion 3 slices Dong Quai - tear to pieces 6 seeded red dates  - cut 1 Tbsp Kei Chi ~ Wolfberries 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine Chopped spring onions - garnish Seasoning  1 Tbsp oyster sauce 2  tsp light soya sauce 1/4 tsp sugar 1/2 cup water Preparation Clean and scale the fish.  Make 2 slits about 1.1/2 inch apart across the side of the fish.  Rub in with some salt. Combine herbs and seasoning in a saucepan and let it simmer for about 10 mins. till the herbal flavours are infused in the stock.  Test for taste.  Let it cool. Prepare a steamer and le...

  This Chicken in Herbal Yellow Wine is a nutritious chicken soup which is also suitable as confinement food for postpartum mothers during the first 30 days of their confinement period.  It is traditionally believed that Chinese rice wine can help speed up womb recovery, helps blood circulation and ultimately helps the body to speed up recovery. Dangguai -  當歸  (angelica root) helps to warm the body and Yu Zhuk -   玉 竹 (Solomon's Seal) helps to relieve dry cough.  Nowadays this dish of yellow wine chicken is not only served as a confinement dish but as a comfort dish for family members.  This dish is delicious with misua ( 麵線) and is also available at some Asian eateries too. Chicken in Herbal Yellow Wine ~   黄酒药材鸡   Ingredients 2 free range chicken drumsticks cut into bite size, about 420 gm 1.1/2 cup yellow wine 1.1/2 cup water 6 shitake mushrooms, reconstituted and cut 5 gm cloud ears, reconstituted to soften 3 gm dangguai (...

  This is a dairy-free orange cake and with so few ingredients, baking this cake is a breeze.  This cake is tender and soft, full of orange flavour, thanks to the orange zest and juice.  Made with oil, this cake is light and you can't wait for seconds.  A perfect dessert to serve after a hearty meal. Orange Cake with Oil  ~  橙子油蛋糕                    Ingredients 3 eggs 125 gm caster sugar 150 ml oil 150 ml orange juice 220 gm plain flour 2 tsp baking powder or 10 gm pinch of salt vanilla zest from 1 or 2 oranges Icing sugar for dusting (optional) Method In a mixing bowl mix orange zest and sugar with a ball whisk till fully incorporated. Add in eggs and beat with a handheld whisk till light and creamy. Add in oil and mix with a spatula till well combined.  Add in orange juice and mix well. Sift the flour with baking powder and salt onto the egg mixture.  Fold in but do not overmix. Mixture is of po...

  This is a vegetarian stir-fry dish which you can whip up with whatever you have in the kitchen.  You only need to pan fry the dao bao till crispy and add onto the stir-fried cucumber and carrot before dishing up to serve. This is a light and refreshing dish for dinner especially if you had been having meat dishes and a heavy lunch. Cucumber, Carrot and Dao Bao Stir-fry  ~   翻炒胡萝卜黄瓜和豆包 Ingredients 180 gm cucumber 50 gm carrots 2 slices of ginger 3 pcs Dao Bao (soy chips) 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce 2 tsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water to mix A dash of sesame oil Salt to taste Method Shallow fry the dao bao, drain off oil, cool and cut into bite size.  Keep aside. Partially peel the cucumber, slice into half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Slice up the carrot as well. Saute the ginger slices till fragrant, add in the carrot slices, stir-fry for a while, then add in the cucumber slices, stir-fry....

  This is another cookie within a cookie and easy to make with a few basic ingredients.  There's no need to use a mixer and the end product is a rich, crispy and chunky chocolate cookie. Choc ripples with White choc bits cookies Ingredients 115 gm vegetable oil 70 gm caster sugar 185 gm plain flour 100 gm Arnotts chocolate ripples, crushed 20 gm white choc bits and more to put on cookie before baking 1 egg 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt Vanilla Method Sift flour with baking soda and salt, set aside. In a mixing bowl and a handheld whisk, whisk oil and sugar till creamy.   Mix in an egg, beat till well incorporated. Fold in the sifted flour, mix well. Add in the crushed chocolate ripples followed by the white choc bits.  Mix well till well incorporated. Cover the mixture with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 mins. Scoop up some dough, roll into a ball, place extra white choc bit on top and place on a parchment lined baking tray, about 2 inches apart....