Kala's cookies

Ingredients:

• 500g Butter
• 250g fine castor sugar
• 250g fine Brown sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla essence
• 4 Egg
• 1000g Self-raising flour
• 600g Chocolate chips
• 180g Roasted Cashewnuts (grinded to powder)

Steps:
Pre-heat oven to 180C.
Sift the flour, set aside.
Beat butter, essence and sugars using mixer until smooth.
Add egg and beat until well combined.
Stir in sifted flour and the remaining ingredients.
Take rounded teaspoons of mixture and roll into balls.
Place balls about 4cm apart on slightly greased oven trays or line with baking sheet.
Bake in pre heated oven for 15 minutes or until browned.
Cool in trays for short while and transfer to wire rack for cooling.

Japanese Mixed Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of JA Rice * JA Rice does not need washing
• Thin Deep-fried Beancurd Skin 15g
• Carrot 30g
• Mushroom 30g
• Chicken Meat 40g
• Shiro Dashi 30ml  
• Ginga Sui 200ml 

Steps:

i)            To thinly shred the deep-fried beancurd skin, carrot and mushroom respectively

ii)           To cut the chicken meat into 1cm pieces

iii)          Add the JA rice, ginga sui, shiro dashi into the rice cooker and gently mix

iv)          Lastly to add in chicken meat, the shredded ingredients to the rice cooker and turn on the switch to start

Healthy Low-salt White Miso Soup

(For 2-4 servings)

Ingredients:

• White Miso 50g 
• (*) Shiro Dashi 30ml 
• Water 500ml
• (**) Radish 10g, Carrot 10g, Tofu 10g, Spring Onions 5g

Steps:

i)            Add ingredients (*) and (**) together into a pot and bring to boil.

ii)           Add white miso when vegetables soften and stir.

iii)          Place spring onions into bowl and pour contents into bowl.

Rice Vermicelli with Garlic Miso and Chicken Mince

(For 2-4 servings)

Ingredients:

Rice Vermicelli 80g

Chicken Mince 50g

Garlic Miso 1 teaspoon 

Leek a small stalk (cut into small pieces)

i)            Blanch the minced chicken in a pot of boiling water

ii)           Sieve up the minced chicken to drain away the water

iii)          Mix cooked minced chicken with Garlic Miso and leek.

iv)          Mix (iii) with cooked rice vermicelli.

Minced Chicken with Garlic Miso on Japanese Rice

(For 2-4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

  JA Rice 1 Cup

Minced Chicken 50g

Garlic Miso 1 teaspoon

Leek a small stalk (cut into small pieces)

Steps:

i)            Cook the JA rice and set aside

ii)           Blanch the minced chicken in a pot of boiling water

iii)          Sieve up the minced chicken to drain away the water

iv)          Mix cooked minced chicken with Garlic Miso and leek.

v)           Serve them on Japanese white rice

Broiled Pacific Saury with Cucumber & Sweet-Vinegared Wakame Seaweed Salad

(For 2-4 servings)

* To be served with “Fuku-Chitose” Japanese Sake

 

 Ingredients:

Broiled Pacific Saury 50g

Cucumber 30g

Dried Wakame Seaweed 5g

(*) Rice Vinegar 30ml, Soy Sauce 30ml, Water 30ml, Sugar 1 teaspoon

Steps:

i)            To mix ingredients (*) for the sweet vinegar

ii)           Slice cucumber into thin slices and rub them with a little salt and leave aside

iii)          Soak dried wakame seaweed in water to soften it, and leave it aside to drain

iv)          Cut broiled saury into mouthful sizes, and mix them in a bowl with the wakame seaweed, and sweet vinegar.

 

Japanese Green Tea Porridge

(For 2-4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

Cooked JA Rice (2 cups)

Ginga Sui 250ml

Shiro Dashi 40ml

Shizuoka Tea 250ml

Steps:

i)            Add Ginga Sui, Shiro Dashi and Shizuoka tea into a pot to boil

ii)           Add cooked JA rice when contents are boiling and stir to cook for a while.

Seared Bonito Salad

Seared Bonito Salad (For 2-4 servings)

* To be served with Okinawa Awamori diluted with Hita Tenryosui

Ingredients:

Seared Bonito 60g 

Fresh Vegetables 50g

(*)Ingredients for Low-salt White Miso Dressing

Low-salt White Miso 50g 

Sugar 30g

Rice Vinegar 25ml

Vegetable Oil 25ml

i)            To mix the ingredients (*) for the salad dressing.

ii)           To cut the seared bonito in bite-size pieces

iii)          Serve both the seared bonito and fresh vegetables in a salad bowl and pour the white miso dressing over the salad.

Thai Sweet and Sour Fish Recipe

 
Ingredients
 

• 1 Whole Pomfret Fish, cleaned and cuts created on both side of the body
• 1 Tablespoon tumeric powder
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 a green or yellow peppers, sliced (can replace with 1 red/green chilli)
• 6 Tablespoon  Mae Pranom brand Thai Chilli Sauce (http://www.paitalard.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/2/s25.jpg)

** if you cannot find this, you can substitute with 3 tablespoon of any brand thai chilli sauce ad 3 tablespoon of tomato ketchup

• 1 stalk coriander, roughly chopped

 
Method

• Coat the Pomfret Fish with tumeric powder. This helps to remove the fishy smell.
• Fry the fish until it is golden brown on both sides and leave it aside on the serving dish.
• Use the same oil which was used to fry fish to sautee onions and peppers.
• Add the thai chilli sauce and stir well.
• Pour the sauce over the fish.
• Garnish with coriander.

 

PINEAPPLE TARTS

Recipe by Chef Anup Kumar

FOR PINEAPPLE FILLING (MAKES 50 TARTS)

5 pineapples, peeled and core removed

500g fine sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

5 star anise

5 cloves

¼ tsp salt

METHOD

1. Cut pineapples into chunks and place in food processor to blend.

2. Put blended pineapple into large pot. Add cinnamon, star anise, cloves and salt. Heat mixture and bring to simmering boil. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour over medium heat until filling thickens.

3. Add in half of the sugar first. Stir and taste. Add remaining sugar gradually. Adjust to your preferred sweetness.

4. Continue cooking pineapple mixture over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until thick and golden. Filling should be sticky and not have any visible moisture. Turn off the heat.

5. Allow filling to cool and remove cinnamon, star anise and cloves.

6. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator until ready to use.

FOR PINEAPPLE TART DOUGH

160g SCS unsalted butter, cubed (keep chilled until ready to use)

200g plain flour

25g cornflour

50g icing sugar

2 egg yolks

1 beaten egg (for egg wash)

3 tsp water (if needed)

1/4 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.

2. Use a kitchen mixer with paddle attachment or food processor. Pour in flour, cornflour, icing sugar and salt into mixing bowl. Mix for a few seconds.

Add butter and beat with paddle at low speed.TNP PHOTO: PHYLLICIA WANG

3. Add cold butter cubes and beat with paddle on low speed or pulse in a food processor until mixture is sandy.

 

Add in egg yolks.TNP PHOTO: PHYLLICIA WANG

4. Add in egg yolks and beat until a dough is form. Add water if dough is too dry. Do not overbeat.

5. Remove dough from mixing bowl and shape into a ball.

Use cookie cutter to shape the dough.TNP PHOTO: PHYLLICIA WANG

6. Roll out dough on a flour-tossed board. Use cookie cutter to cut and shape dough. 

Lightly brush on a thin coat of egg wash.TNP PHOTO: PHYLLICIA WANG

7. Arrange cut dough on a baking tray. Lightly brush on a thin coat of egg wash on the cut dough. 

8. To assemble, take a teaspoon of filling, shape into a ball and place it on the cut dough. Gently tap so the filling sticks to the dough.

9. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

10. Allow tarts to cool before storing in air-tight containers.

CREAMY COLLAGEN FISH SOUP

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbRZT4Ol2EF7at4TPpddS3uRwniFaddJAJ_3N40/

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

500g of fish bone carcass including fish head

fish bone carcass seasoning: generous sprinkle of plain flour (choose rice flour if you have gluten sensitivities) and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1.5 litres water

300g – 400g fresh fish fillet sliced (your pick of: threadfin/batang/ red grouper/barramundi)

fish slice marinade: 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda, a large pinch of sea salt, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

flavouring ingredients: 6 tablespoons of grapeseed oil, 6 slices of old ginger, 1 quartered sliced onion, 9 pieces of peeled garlic, 1/2 cup japanese unsalted dried anchovies

other additions: 1 bunch vegetables (your pick of – chye sim/bok choy/bitter gourd/salted vegetables), 1/2 box firm tofu, 1 tomato

optional carbs: thick rice noodles or steamed white rice

garnishes: fried shallots, shallot oil, a drizzle of sesame oil, spring onions or chinese coriander

INSTRUCTIONS

Cooking the fish soup

Get the freshest fish (some options are: threadfin…my choice!, batang, red grouper, barramundi) and the best quality fish bones you can get your hands on. The best places to get fish bones are from your local fish monger or nearby supermarket.

Rinse your fish bones with water, before you start cooking them.

Flour the fish and season with a sprinkling of salt and black pepper.

Heat a heavy bottomed stock pot with medium fire, add grapeseed oil, and fry your ginger slices till fragrant!

Add your floured and seasoned fish bones to the pot.

Caramelise your fish bones, turn to make sure browning is even, this may take a while. Don’t give up…it’s important for the flavour of the soup stock!

Add your water till it covers the fish bones. Add the other flavouring ingredients; small dried anchovies, peeled garlic pieces and sliced onion. I used unsalted Japanese dried baby anchovies bought from the dried goods section in the local chinatown market.

Turn up the heat. Boil for 1.5 hours on medium high heat, it should be a rolling boil and not a slow simmer to get your soup to a milky, creamy colour. Keep topping up with water during the cooking process, if the soup stock reduces so much that you can clearly see the fish carcass. The soup quantity should just cover the fish bone carcass.

As the soup is cooking in the 1.5 hours prep the below:

Marinate your fish slices – give your fish slices a gentle massage with ingredients in fish slice marinade (sodium bicarbonate, sea salt and sesame oil). Sodium bicarbonate gives the fish a slightly smoother texture.

Precook your vegetables, tofu and noodles – slice your bok choy, choy sum and tomatoes or whatever greens you will be using. Divide your tofu into squares. Portion out your noodles. Parboil each ingredient separately in hot water and distribute into serving bowls, set aside.

Optional step: Make your own shallot oil and fried shallots – slice raw shallots thinly (I used a small mandoline for even slices), squeeze out moisture in the raw shallots with a kitchen towel, sprinkle a little salt onto the dry shallots and shallow fry in heated oil on low fire till shallots turn golden brown. Separate fried shallots from shallot oil. Reserve for garnish later.

Once soup has been cooked for the 1.5 hours, using a metal sieve remove any fish bones, baby fish anchovies and other flavouring ingredients in the stock.

Cook sliced fish pieces in the remaining soup stock, do the cooking in small portions to preserve the delicate pieces of the fish. Portion the cooked fish slices into your prepared serving bowls.

Season fish soup with salt to your taste, ladle steaming hot fish soup into your prepared bowls complete with your vegetables, tofu and tomatoes. Garnish with fried shallots, shallot oil and green onions/chinese coriander. Serve!

TASTY TIPS

To see how fresh your fish is look at the quality of the eyes (are they bright or sunken?) and the gills inside the head (are they blood red or dark?). Bright eyes and blood red gills are good signs the fish is fresh!

For larger parties or families, this recipe can be easily doubled.

If you wish to cook fish stock in advance and store it in the freezer for a quick fish soup or other seafood based dishes, the stock will keep for up to 3 months in the deep freezer.