The making of fresh veggie wraps

Dear Family & Friends

Our family is not really keen meat eaters, although we are not vegetarians yet we eat very little meat and would prefer more vegetables. Fresh Spring rolls is one of those dish I do that is packed with veggies. I find this very time consuming to make so I don't do them as much as we want. 

Veggie rolls brings joy for my family...their eyes literally sparkles as they eat this!!

Spring roll is also known as popiah or lumpia. It can be eaten fresh or deep fried. The fillings can vary with either minced meat, seafood prawns etc... but we really prefer it with veggies. Any mixture of stir fried finely shredded vegetable leaves or grated roots or seed sprouts of your choice will do. 

assortment of stir fried veggies precooked for spring roll filler

Today I cooked a big pot of shredded cabbages,sweet pepper and other root veggies on hand. Set this aside to cool down a bit before using it with the wrapper.

Home- made spring roll wrapper is 100% better than those store bought ones

Normally, you could find this wrapper sold in Asian stores...but as we don't have any in this country, I have to make my own. It's basically made of flour, cornstarch, salt and water. Mixed to a very watery consistency. Then, pan fry on non-stick pan to form a very thin crepe - one at a time till you have enough. Yes, it's time consuming to make, but it taste so much better than the store bought  ones. Nothing beats it's freshness.

When wrappers and veggie fillers are cooked, it's time to wrap and roll them one by one.

Fill the crepe and fold it from the top, and both sides to keep the fillings in.

It would be better if every one rolls their own...but normally I would roll them all so it will be ready to eat. Yes, I spoil the opportunity of giving others the skills of wrapping up their own food.

It took me hours, to do all these....but we ate it all in just a couple of minutes!

my imperfectly wrapped veggie roll ... 

If I find more time on hand...I will do this again for the love of my family...but for the moment, we will be happy to patiently look forward to the next spring roll meal - whenever it will be next!!

Having meal time with your family is always a good thing...simple or extravagant meal is not important as long as you enjoy them together: Wishing you and your family happy meal times and with all best wishes for a successful and healthy new year 2017!

Yours

Restoring furniture project

Dear Family & Friends

We're trying our hands on new interest of restoring furniture.. Modern day new furniture sold are just not appealing...prices are high and we mainly see a lot of MDF furniture that's not durable. 

We found a shop that sells old real wood furniture...some of which they have already restored. We bought an unrestored one...it's ugly for the moment but we can see the beautiful potential of the unit.

this ugly looking armchair got lots of potential to be a well loved, comfy chair

This armchair is just the right size for our need and it's very comfortable...for just 15 pounds we took it home for our new project. My big girl is enjoying this project in between all other things she does.

sanding wood furniture using sandpaper and hand power!

We sanded it down and will soon repaint it and reupholster it. I hope this will get us going to many more beautiful furniture projects and be successful with it.

a bed side table on the list of 'work-in-progress'.

We also got a pair of bedside tables...this too will be restored. I will show you the outcome of these projects later on. For the moment we have a lot of work on hand...as we work to make some beautiful pieces of furniture to use in our new apartment.

pan fried dumplings with chives and egg fillings, we call this 'he-zi' in Chinese

Work makes us hungry...thus, we're craving for lots of food calories. So this week, we had pan fried dumplings with egg and chives fillings. They're so good...I must make some more soon:)

unleaven crispy flat bread made of flour, a bit of salt mix with hot water, then, sprinkled with chives

My little girl is engrossed with making very crispy fried chives flat bread. She rolls the dough so thinly that it is better than any packet of crisp. I'm just as happy as she is whenever she ask me if she can make some more of this...a few times a week!!

Eating and working...or is it working and eating? Ah, life couldn't be better than this:) Hope you are also enjoying each day where you are!

Yours

Siopao recipe - steamed bun

Dear Family & Friends

I waited for a long while... Finally, I noticed a German food chain shop selling an electric steamer - but only for that one Saturday. I went and got a steamer:) Steaming food is an healthier option for us. We like steamed food. Today, I'll share with you a Chinese steamed bun recipe.

my new steamer...with steamed buns for the family

Ingredients for the dough and instruction as follows:

4½ - 5 cups flour (I use ordinary plain flour)
1 1/4 cups warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp.salt
3 tbsp.oil
1 tbsp.baking powder
2 tsp.yeast

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water; set it aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix together all of the ingredients along with the activated yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.
3. Knead the mixture to form a smooth dough.
4. Put the big ball of dough in a bowl lined with oil. Brush oil on top of the dough too.
5. Cover and let the dough rise till double in size.
6. Divide the dough into small balls. Flatten each balls, put 1 tbsp. filling in each (any pre-made filling of your choice - savoury or sweet) and close to form a bun shape. 
7. Put the bun on a square piece of paper and arrange them on the steamer.
8. Steam the buns for about 10-15 minutes.

This makes about 15 buns.

our family just loves this siopao - hot buns with fillings inside

This recipe is a keeper...the bun is super soft and moist. It is so easy to make and I find it more convenient than baking a bread bun in the oven. The bun is springy with a cake like texture.

super soft and moist dough...a keeper!

This dough can be transformed into different shapes and forms. The buns can be filled with various cooked fillings. Any leftover stew, chili con carne, stir fried assorted veggies will be suitable too. I'm even thinking of filling it with baked beans, sausages etc...It can also be sweet like custard filling or sweet bean paste, or simply plain as it is - without any fillings inside.

I've done this siopao two days in a row because the first day I did it...my family looks like I haven't fed them after eating about 3 buns each! Day two, I did it again...this time, 4 buns per person. But still not enough!! I guess it will always be 'not enough' because we all just like it! But I'm resting from it on the third day...I've got lots of gardening jobs to do still...you know... 

Hope you have a good day today too.

Yours

Kiam Chai Recipe

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)
(recipe source: adapted from My Little Space and flavours lifestyle magazine, with minor changes)


Ingredients
2kg mustard greens (kai choy) 芥菜, rinsed & drained

145g coarse salt


Brining solution
3-4 litres water, or enough to cover
4tbsp salt
40g ginger, sliced
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1tbsp rice flour, mixed with 4tbsp water


Equipment- ceramic crock and heavy object (example plate), or glass jar with lid and a plastic sheet & rubber band


Method


1. Cut large heads of mustard greens into half, rub salt in between the leaves and stem then set aside for about 6 hours to draw out the moisture and wilt the greens.
2. Bring water to boil together with all other brining ingredients. Then set aside to cool before used.
3. Squeeze moisture from the mustard greens and then pack them into jar.
4. Pour cooled brining solution into the jar to keep those mustard greens covered.
5. Cover the top with plastic sheet & tide it up with rubber band, then cover by lid and set aside to in a cool place to ferment for 5-7 days.
6. Check on the greens every day and skim off the whitish bloom that appears on the surface of the brining solution.
7. Remove the mustard green after the 7th day without squeezing out any liquid, discard brining solution.
8. Wrap the mustard greens in cling film and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

No Bake Char Siu - chinese recipe

No Bake Char Siew (Table for 2 Blog)


600 gm skinless pork belly (cut into 2cm thickness strips)

2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt (use only if the dark soy is not salty)
1 Tbsp Chinese Rose Wine (Mei Gwei Lou)
3 Tbsp sugar
Water
** Use chinese soup spoon (equivalent to a baking measuring tablespoon, not the tablespoon for eating rice)

1. Put pork belly, arranged flat in a heavy based pot.
2. Put in soy sauces, salt and rose wine. Put enough water to cover pork belly.
3. Bring to a boil and lower heat to smallest flame. Cover pot and simmer belly for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, flip to simmer the other side of the belly.
5. Check belly after 20 minutes to see whether the pork fat has turned softer.
6. If not, simmer for another 10 minutes.
7. When pork belly has slightly softened, turn to high heat and add in sugar.
8. Leave pot uncovered and cook until gravy is greatly reduced to a syrupy consistency. Turn off the heat. Be careful when reducing gravy, it'll burn easily due to the high sugar content.
9. Leave cha siew in pot to cool down. When cha siew has totally cooled down, u can see there's some oil and the gravy is at the consistency of thick honey.
10. Slice cha siew (when cool,... if still hot, meat will crumble).


***** Do not leave gravy too watery when reducing. If gravy is not properly reduced, the cha siew will not be fragrant as the oil from the belly is not released. If gravy is too thick (after total cool down), put in a bit of water to thin down. U can thin down the gravy later, but do not leave it watery in step (8)




Palm Sugar No Bake Char Siu

Recipe source: WendyinKK

600gm pork belly, 1.5cm thick slices
80gm palm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 blades of pandan leaf, shredded

1. Arrange belly slices into1. Arrange belly slices into a heavy based pot (big pot with wide base surface is preferred rather than small pot).
2. Add everything except plam sugar. Put enough water to cover the belly.
3. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. (Lid on)
4. Flip the belly over and let it cook for another 15 minutes. Flip the belly pieces again.
5. Put in palm sugar and reduce gravy until it's thick like honey. (Lid off. Use medium heat and watch the char siu closely to prevent burning)
6. Let the char siu cool in pot. Slice when it has totally cooled down.

 *I cooked this 6 hours ahead of dinner time:)

Marbled Tea Eggs

1 dozen eggs
2 tea bags (I used Lipton's black tea bags)
1 star anise
2 tsp salt

 Make hard boiled eggs. Fill a pot with 12 eggs and adding enough water to comfortably cover the eggs. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then let the eggs cool.

Once cool, lightly tap the egg on a hard surface all the way around the egg. You want to lightly crack the shell but not remove it. The cracks will allow the tea to infuse even more into the egg.

Put the eggs into a clean pot and fill with water, comfortably covering the eggs. Add salt, tea bags, and star anise.

Cook at medium heat for about 30 minutes, and then let soak overnight or let simmer for at least 2-3 hours. Alternatively, you can make this in a crockpot and cook at low setting for 8-10 hours.

salted eggs

Ingredients
1 cup water to ¼ cup salt (ratio)
large chicken or duck eggs

plastic or glass container

½ tsp szechuan peppercorn per 1 cup water (optional)


Method
1. To work out how much liquid you need, place your eggs in your chosen container. Pour cold water into the container. Drain the water out to a measuring jar to work out the salt ratio.

2. Dissolve the salt in hot water. Leave to cool.

3. Pour the salt water into the jar to completely cover the eggs. Add the szechuan peppercorn (optional).


4. Label and keep in a cool place for at least 1 month.

5. Remove eggs and store in the fridge. Use as required.


Note :
1. Sea salt or ordinary salt can be used.

2. If you add szechuan peppercorn, the salted eggs will taste peppery. Omit if you want plain unflavoured eggs.

Tip
1. Make sure the eggs are totally submerged when the lid is shut. If it floats, add a plate of some sort (not metal) to help keep it down.

2. I use the biggest eggs I can buy as I prefer big egg yolks.