Sweet potato soup

Ingredients

250g sweet potatoes ( cut into chunks)

200g sugar/rock sugar

5 pcs pandan leaves

1 1/2 inch ginger (flattened)

1 1/2 litre water

Preparation

1. Put sweet potatoes, pandan leaves into a pot of 1 1/2 litre water. Bring to boil over high flame.

2. Turn to medium-low flame and boil for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes become tender.

3. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.

4. Discard pandan leaves and ginger.

Hainanese steamed minced pork with dong cai

Ingredients

150g minced pork

2 tbsp dong cai (washed and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 tsp light soya sauce

1 tsp corn flour

dash of pepper

Preparation

1. Drain dry dong cai and chop together with garlic finely. Add to the minced pork and blend well with soya sauce, corn flour and pepper.

2. Transfer to a plate and steam over medium flame for 15-20 minutes.

Boiled fruit cake

Ingredients

750g plain flour (sieved)

500g mixed fruits

300g brown sugar

200g butter

2 eggs

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 cups water

3 tbsp rum (optional)

Preparation

1. Put 1/2 cup water in pot with sugar, butter, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and mixed fruits. Boil for 5 minutes.

2. Simmer for 10 minutes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add in 1 cup water and mix well. Set aside to cool.

(I boil only 1/2 cup of water instead of 1 1/2 cups because the mixture would cool down faster this way.)

3. Preheat oven to 180C.

4. When the mixture is cool, stir in beaten eggs (and rum if desired). Fold in flour and bicarbonate of soda.

5. Transfer to a baking tin lined with grease paper and bake for 45 -60 minutes or until cake is cooked.

Stuffed tau fu

Ingredients

2 pcs soft taufu

200g fish paste

3 tbsp dried prawn (soaked and pounded)

1 chili (chopped finely)

1 stalk spring onion (chopped)

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

pinch of salt

dash of pepper

Sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

1 shallot ( cut into slices)

Preparation

1. Put fish paste, dried prawn, light soya sauce, sesame oil, corn flour, spring onion, salt and pepper into a bowl.

2. Mix well and set aside to marinate for a while.

3. Cut tau fu into smaller squares.

4. Stuff tau fu with mixture and a piece of chili on top.

5. Steam for 15 minutes or until it is cooked. Place the taufu on a serving plate. Set aside.

6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan and stir fry shallot until fragrant. Add in oyster sauce and water. Mix well and bring to boil. Pour the sauce over the taufu.

Fish fillet bitter gourd bee hoon soup

Ingredients

150g fish fillet ( seasoned with 1 tsp light soya sauce)

1/2 bitter gourd (150g, cut into thin slices)

1 tomato ( cut into wedges)

1 small bundle bee hoon ( for serving 2 )

1 shallot (cut into thin slices)

1 tbsp oil

5 slices ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp light soya sauce

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan and stir fry shallot until fragrant.

2. Add in 1 litre water, ginger slices, salt and bring to boil.

3. Put in the tomato and bitter gourd. Cover to boil over medium flame for 5 minutes.

4. Add in 1 tbsp light soya sauce. Stir before putting in the bee hoon and fish fillet.

5. Bring to boil. Turn off the flame when fish is cooked and bee hoon is tender.

6. Serve hot.

Seaweed fish roll

Ingredients

250g fish paste

1 red chili ( chopped into tiny pieces)

4 dried seaweed/ nori sheet

1 bean curd sheet

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soya sauce

1 egg ( beaten, for sealing the rolls)

dash of pepper

1 tomato for garnishing

Preparation

1. Add chili, salt, oyster sauce and pepper to fish paste. Mix well .

2. Cut out 4 pieces (same size as nori sheets) from the bean curd sheet.

3. Put the dried seaweed sheet on top of the bean curd sheet, spread the fish paste evenly over the seaweed.

4. Roll up and seal with egg. Put in steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes.

5. Cut into slices to serve.

*Alternatively, deep fry the fish rolls to serve.

Pepper meatball

Ingredients

450g ground pork

1 onion ( finely chopped)

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp corn flour

pinch of salt

dash of black pepper powder

some oil (for frying the meat ball)

For pepper sauce :

2 stalks spring onion ( cut into 1-inch lengths)

2 tbsp black pepper sauce

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients except spring onion and oil, into a bowl and mix well. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Divide into equal portions. Hold each portion loosely in the palm and shake to form into round shape.

3. Heat enough oil in pan for deep frying.

4. When the oil is hot, put in the meatballs to fry for a while. Then turn to low flame and continue to fry for 10 minutes until the meatballs turn brown.

5. Dish up onto a plate lined with kitchen tissue to absorb excess oil .

6. Put 2 tbsp black pepper sauce in pan, add in 2 tbsp water and the spring onions. Bring to boil.

7. Return the meatballs to the pan and blend well with the black pepper sauce. Turn off the flame when the sauce dries up slightly and the meatballs are well-coated with the sauce.

8. Dish up to serve.

Sweet and sour braised chicken feet

Ingredients

15 fried chicken feet

2 tomatoes (cut into wedges)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 inch ginger (cut into slices)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1/2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine

4 tbsp chili sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1 stalk spring onion ( cut into small pieces for garnishing )

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients except spring onion for garnishing into a pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken feet and bring to boil.

2. Turn to low flame and simmer for 2 hours or until the chicken feet are tender.

3. Garnish to serve.

Tofu fa (without gypsum powder )

Ingredients

1 litre unsweetened soya milk (or 1 litre less sugar soya milk)

8 level tsp gelatine

75 ml water (room temperature)

50g sugar (if unsweetened soya milk is used)

For syrup

100g brown sugar

5 slices of ginger

Preparation

1. Put gelatine in a cup. Add in 75ml water. Do not stir. Keep the cup in a hot water bath to dissolve the gelatine.

2. Heat 1 litre soya milk with 50 g sugar in a pot over medium-low flame. Stir until you can smell the aroma of soya milk. Do not boil. Make sure the sugar fully dissolves.

3. Stir the gelatine and add into the soya milk.

4. Keep stirring until gelatine is fully blended. Turn off the flame. Continue to stir for another 1-2 minutes.

5. Strain the soya milk into containers. Cool before putting into the fridge to set.

6. This will take at least 4- 4 1/2 hours. But it's still rather soft. It tastes much better given time to set overnight in fridge.

7. Boil brown sugar and ginger slices in a pot with 1/4 cup of water until sugar is fully dissolved.

8. Use a large metal spoon to scoop thin layers of tofu fa into a bowl and serve with the syrup.

* Normally gypsum powder is used to coagulate the tofu fa. This tofu fa (with gelatine) tastes a bit different. But it's not too bad when served cold directly from the fridge with ginger syrup.

Cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

For dough

550g plain flour (sieved)

2 1/2 tsp dried yeast

70 g butter (melted)

70 g castor sugar

2 eggs

200ml milk (or 100ml milk + 100 ml water)

pinch of salt

150g raisin (optional)

For the egg wash

1 egg + 2tbsp milk ( to brush the surface )

For fillings

1 tbsp cinnamon powder

200g brown sugar

70 g butter

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients for dough into a mixing bowl.

2. Mix well with a wooden spatula.

3. Knead to form a smooth dough.

4. Cover with a piece of damp cloth. Set aside for 1 1/2 -2 hours for it to rise to double its size.

5. Meanwhile, put the ingredients for the fillings into a bowl and blend well.

6. When the dough is about double the size, punch the air out using your knuckles.

7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.

8. Roll the dough out into rectangular shape of about 1/2 cm thick.

9. Spread fillings evenly on the dough. Sprinkle with raisin if desired.

10. Roll up the dough like swiss roll.

11. Cut into rolls of about 1 cm thickness.

12. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking tray.

13. Cover and set aside to let rise ( about 15 minutes).

14. Preheat the oven to 190C.

15. Brush the surface with the egg wash and bake for 15 minutes.

16. Cinnamon rolls - ready for afternoon tea....

Laughing puffs (笑口开)

Ingredients

250g plain flour (sieved)

100g sesame seeds

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup castor sugar

30 ml water

Preparation

1. Beat egg in a bowl. Add in all the ingredients except sesame seeds and knead to form a dough.

2. Divide into 20 portions.

3. Roll each portion into round shape. Wet the surface with a little water and coat with sesame seeds.

4. Deep fry sesame bals over low flame till golden brown.

5. Dish up onto kitchen tissue to get rid of excess oil.

Ban jian kueh ( Chinese peanut pancake)

Ingredients

160g self raising flour ( or 160g plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

20g castor sugar

30g melted butter/olive oil

1 egg

100 ml water

100 ml milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp alkaline water

Fillings

80g fried peanuts (pounded) , coarse sugar ( 70g)

Preparation

1. Put all dry ingredients in a container. Add egg, water, milk and melted butter and beat until smooth. Stir in alkaline water and leave to rest for 1 hour ( or at least 30minutes)

2. Dip a piece of kitchen tissue with some oil and lightly grease a 12" non-stick pan.

3. Heat the pan over medium-low flame and pour in the batter.

4. Swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly, coating the sides slightly with a thin layer.

5. Cover the pan (just to cook for a while).

6. When bubbles burst on the surface of the half-cooked batter, sprinkle over the peanut and coarse sugar.

7. Cover to cook over low flame for further half a minute or until it's fully cooked.

8. Fold the "pancake" into half using a spatula.

9. Remove from pan. Cool slightly before cutting.