A nice break in Lake District

I was away to Lake District with few friends for 5 days. Plan was to do scenic hike up some scaleable peaks dotted around there. Lake District National Park is such a lovely place. We did camping with a hint of glamour/style or better known as 'glamping'. We slept in tent that has been refurbished with clean sheet and comfy mattress, a wood burner as cooking stove, proper dining table and even a toilet within it. It was new experience to me, as you still have access to great outdoor, coming back after a long walk to a nice cosy tent. It was a good break, away from hectic life, breathing in spring fresh air, embracing the lovely scenery etc, etc....did I forget to tell you, the weather was superb (almost summer like) considering it's still early spring. I allow the pictures do the talking for me:-)

Sheep grazing the field

Lake view at Buttermere

Lake District famoulsy known for English author Beatrix Potter, Tales of Peter Rabbit

A curious and friendly sheep

Scenic route up Buttermere

Ullswater lake in the distance

Still a bit of snow left up Hallevelyn (3rd highest peak in Lake District)

Pistachio Biscotti

Where have I been or what have I been doing? I am still enjoying the wonderful April weather, it's been sunny and warm (20degC), which is rather rare for early spring. The whole city is buzzing when weather is nice, people will go out to lie on the grass and enjoy a sun kiss skin. After all, you've to enjoy the brilliant sunshine weekend, any other things will take second place. I've been baking to enjoy the freshness of baked goods right from the oven. So I thought I should give it a try at biscotti. Baking cookies are quick and no hassle. The enjoyment of having freshly baked cookies with a cup of freshly brew coffee or tea is an enjoyment to behold.

Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients (make about 30)

• 280 gm flour


• 250 gm butter softened


• 130 gm caster sugar


• 1 egg yolk


• 2 tsp brandy


• pinch of salt


• 1 egg yolk lightly beaten


• 85 gm pistachio nut roughly chopped


• Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

1. Cream the butter and sugar . Then add in egg yolk. Mix well.


2. Then add in brandy, pistachio, flour and salt. Use a spoon to mix well.


3. Pour the soft dough onto cling film and wrap around and roll into a log.


4. Then put in the fridge and cool for an hour.


5. Pre heat oven to 190C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.


6. Remove the log from fridge, unwrap the cling film, use a sharp knife and cut diagonally into 5mm slices.


7. Place them on the baking tray.


8. Bake for 12minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool f0r 5 minutes in the oven, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

I took some lovely pictures again from Cambridge and my garden.....

I love April for its tulips, cherry blossom and lovely weather.......

King's College Chapel

The leaves has appeared on the trees

View of King's College from The Backs

Punting on Cam River

Jerry guarding his daffodil

Daffodils Salome

Daffodils and Tulips at back garden

Spring colors in my back garden

Bright yellow tulip brightening up a shady corner

Always make time for a cuppa

Flowering bleeding heart

Tulips in the raised beds at front garden

Tulips Appeldorn

Spring Colors

Truly spring has arrived here, we've just tuned our clock to BST again. I'm also much or less out of hibernation mode to enjoy the fresh spring air, it's still a little chilly in the morning but it warm up quite quickly. As a keen gardener, March is a busy month, so much to do in the garden, from clearing out borders, flower beds, potting up, sowing seeds and etc. It is not all about doing this and that in the garden, always make time to rest and enjoy the blossom of early spring bulbs. :-)

After a hard day in the garden, how about enjoying a slice of banana cake and a cuppa. Yes... lovely indeed.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 125gm butter


• 125 gm sugar


• 240 gm self raising flour


• 2 large eggs


• 2 large very ripe bananas


• a handful of walnut (roughly chopped)-optional


• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line a 2lb loaf tin with grease proof paper.


Mash the banana with fork.


Lightly beat the eggs with fork.


Cream the butter and sugar and add the eggs slowly while continue on creaming.


Mix in the mashed banana. Then add in the flour. Use a metal spoon and fold in.


Then pour the mixture into the tin and bake for around 30-40mins till cook.

Lovely winter pansy

Cherry Blossom

Cut flowers from my garden, white tulip and muscari

Cut flowers from my garden-fragance hyancinths

Sowing vegetable seeds

Blooming daffodils in my garden

Sowing flower seeds

Garden supervisor having a siesta again

Braised pork serve with rice

It's been quite cold this past few days, there were frosty mornings and cold evenings. But was pleasantly cool during day time. These were the transitional period between late winter into early spring. Last chance of making those comfort food for the cold evenings before warmer days set in, and put my Le Cruset cast iron pot to good use.

Braised Pork serve with rice
Ingredients

• 600 gm pork belly-cut into 1 inch thick
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 5 cloves of garlic-crushed
• 1 inch of ginger-thinly sliced
• 5 tbsp of light soya sauce
• 2 tbsp of dark soya sauce
• 3 tbsp of shaoxing wine
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 8 dry mushroom -soaked till soft, discard stem

1. Heat oil in the pot. Once hot, sweat garlic and ginger for a minute. Then throw in the pork belly and let it browned for 5minutes. Throw in the mushroom. Continue stirring.


2. Then add in soya sauce, dark sauce, shaoxing wine, water and sugar. Bring to boil.


3. Then lower the heat to minimum and close the heavy lid of the cast iron pot. Let it braised for 2hours. Stir once every hour.


4. The meat should be tender and falvorful after 2 hours. I find that this dish taste better the next day when all the flavor is fully absorbed by the meat.
   
5. Serve over rice.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend Japan Day at Kaetsu Centre in Cambridge. There were Japanese arts of display, calligraphy, chado session, martial art session, flower arrangement, origami, manga and of course Japanese food.

Steamed scallop with chilli garlic oil

I'm counting down days to spring time. Days are getting slightly longer, you'll hear robins singing from dawn to dusk, milder weather and finally you'll smell spring is in the air. Lovely days ahead. I even head down to The Backs in Cambridge today to view the carpet of crocus, a sign that spring is in sight. Yes, I'm yearning so much for spring now.

On the cookery front, I decided to post steamed scallop with chilli garlic oil. This is a simple enough dish and very very nice.

Steamed scallop with chilli garlic oil

Ingredients

• 8 scallops in shell
• 4 cloves of garlic-finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp chilli oil
• 1 tbsp light soya sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• dash of lemon juice (optional)
• 1 spring onion finely chopped

1. Prepare the garlic oil by heating 1tbsp of vegetable oil. Once hot, add in the garlic and let fry till light brown. Remove and set aside


2. Steam the scallop on high heat for around 6-7minutes. Do not overcook.
   
3. Prepare the sauce. Mix the chilli oil, garlic oil, soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice and mixed well.
4. Plate the scallop, drizzle over the sauce and garnish with spring onion.

Hereby enjoy some pics I took of the crocus.

Homemade mantou (Chinese steamed bun)

During Chinese New Year meal, I made mantou to serve with the roast duck. The mantou is easy to make and taste much fresher, soft and fluffy. After my 5km run this morning, I decided to make another batch of steamed bun to serve with braised pork belly. So I deserve the extra calories. :-)

Mantou

Ingredients (20 buns)

• 280 gm Hong Kong flour
• 100 gm wheat starch (Tung Mein Fen)
• 80 gm icing sugar
• 30 ml vegetable oil
• 8 gm fast action yeast/dry yeast
• 180 ml warm water

1. Sift flour, wheat starch, icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Then form a well in the middle and add in yeast, water and oil. Use a spatula to mix well.




2. Don't worry as the mixture is a little bit sticky. Dust the worktop with some Hong Kong flour and give a good 10 minutes of kneading to the dough.




3. Then set aside in a warm area to rise, cover with damp tea towel.




4. After the dough had triple in size, dust the worktop again and give a good 5 minutes of kneading.




5. Then roll into a long dough and cut into 20pieces. Take a piece and roll into ball, then roll out into a circle of 5mm thickness. Use an oil chopstick to glaze the top half of the circle and fold into half.
   
6. Let it rise for a further 30minutes before steaming.




7. Steam for 12-15minutes on high heat.

Enjoy with your favorite meat.....braised or roast.

Happy Year of Rabbit

Wishing all my family and friends a Happy Chinese New Year. This year is the year of Rabbit. I wish everyone will enjoy good health and prosperity. I haven't been back to Malaysia/Singapore for CNY over 3 years now, pretty much getting used to celebrating with close friends over here in UK. And moreover I still have to work during CNY, so I decided to host a lunch over at mine on Sunday.

It's a good time to get together to enjoy a nice meal with good friends and I also do enjoy cooking for my guests. At the end of the day, if you could make someone happy through sharing your food, it's a very satisfying thought.

My menu for the day consist of following:

1. Yusheng - Raw salmon salad


2. Starter of prawn toast, fried wonton, spring roll


3. Premium seafood broth


4. Roast ''Pek Ling'' duck with mantou[thanks to Algernond for naming that roast duck after me]


5. Mixed vegetables stir fry


6. Chow Mein


7. Steamed Scallop in black bean sauce


8. Pot sticker/Gyoza

My appointed photographer was pretty much distracted by the lovely food and forgot to take nice macro shot.

I hope all my guests had gone home with a great smile on their face.

I will eventually share with you some nice recipes here, be patience. At the moment let me share some pictures my photographer took before he got distracted by the food.... or more likely the boozy.

Enjoying gyoza

You might think it's shark fin soup, but hey it's not, I called it premium seafood broth

Roast duck with mantou drizzled with Hoisin sauce-Yum Yum

Crispy ''Pek Ling'' Roast Duck, thumbs up

Kek Bahulu

I went for a run this morning ( to tell you the truth I haven't done any outdoor running for a very very long time). It was bitterly cold, so I had to run fast to heat up. Well for a start I managed 1.5miles run. Maybe one of my new year resolution..... keeping fit and healthy through healthy eating and excercise. :-)

After the run I had craving for my mum Chinese steam cake, it's easy to make and healthier than the butter cake options. The main ingredients of the cake is just eggs, sugar and self rising flour. So I whipped up the cake under 15minutes only but there is a little problem, I can't find my steamer. Well..... it can be baked too. Turn out well after all.

Kek Bahulu

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs


• 3-4 tbsp sugar


• 100 gm self raising flour


• 1 tsp vanilla essence
  

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
   
2. Beat the eggs and sugar till it's thick reaching ribbon consistency. Take roughly 8minutes.


3. Then sift the flour into the mixture. Carefully fold in with spatula.
   
4. Add the essence vanilla, mix well.


5. Pour the mix into cake tin and bake for 20-25minutes till cook.

Verdict: I prefer the steam version as it's moist, the baked version is little bit on the dry side.

Roast Duck with cranberry and sloe gin sauce

I made this dish over the Christmas period and forgotten to post the recipes here. I enjoy roast meat, be it chicken, pork, goose or duck. I chose duck as it's one of the more flavorful meat

A good roast duck should have that elusive, crispy skin while maintaining the moist and tenderness of the meat beneath. Total enjoyment to serve with slightly sweet sour fruity sauce, a perfect match made in heaven. Not forgetting a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In order to create crispy skin remember the skin got to be dry(I mean really dry) and the need to prick the skin. Therefore, I normally prepare the duck a day before so that It has ample time to allow the skin to dry out.

Roast Duck with cranberry and sloe gin sauce

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 kgs Gressingham duck


• 1 lemon-cut into 1/4inch slices (*)


• 3 tbsp honey(*)


• 1 cup dry sherry/shaoxing wine(*)


• 4 tbsp of soy sauce(*)


• 800 ml of water (*)
  

1. Pour the water in a pot, add lemon, honey, wine and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20minutes.


2. Hang your duck up on the neck with meat hook or string. Place a container below the duck before basting. Use the hot liquid from (1) and baste the duck all over. Once you've used up the liquid, pour back the collected liquid in the container and bring to boil again and repeat the basting process for another 2 time. Hang the duck and let it dry overnight. Keep the remaining liquid.


3. Before you roast, use a skewer to prick all over the duck, this will allow duck fat to come out and not just bubbling beneath the skin. As duck is very fatty, remember to sit the duck on a roasting rack, and fill the roasting tray with water, so that the dripping fat will not splatter in your oven.
   
4. Pre-heat the oven to 190C fan assisted. Once heated, place your duck breast up into the oven and roast for 40minutes. Then turn down to 180C, brush the duck with the liquid once and continue to roast for additional 20minutes. Then turn over the duck, baste and continue to roast for 25minutes. Turn over again and continue to roast for additional 15minutes. While duck is roasting you can prepare the sauce.

Sauce

• 200 ml sloe gin plus some soaked sloe


• 2-3 tbsp cranberry sauce


• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar


• 2 tbsp chicken/veg stock.


• 1 tbsp sugar (adjust depend on sweetness you desire)
  

1. Put everything in sauce pan, gently bring to a boil and let it simmer, stir occasionally, until the liquid is reduce by half. This will roughly takes about 45minutes.

Carve the roast duck and serve with the reduced sauce and side vegetables and humble roast spud (potatoes).



All that is remaining- duck carcass

Spicy Glass Noodle Salad

There is no perfect winter weather, it can be bright and sunny but stays cold or it can be mild but yet wet and windy. I'm so looking forward to early spring..........

To beat the winter blues, I try making some simple dish to replicate the taste of summer, to remind me sunny and warmer days are just around the corner. :-)

Rummaging through my pantry, fridge and my herby pot to see if I've any ingredients that needed to whip out something really quick and easy, let say spicy glass noodle salad.



Spicy Glass Noodle Salad

Ingredients (4 persons)

• 150 gm dry glass noodle-cooked in boiling water for 2-3minutes till soft-drained


• 1 medium carrot julienned


• 2 shallots thinly sliced


• handful of rocket salad


• chopped spring onion/corriander


• 2 tbsp of crushed roasted peanut

Sauce

• 2 tbsp of garlic oil


• 1 tbsp of spicy chilli oil


• 2 tbsp of light soya sauce


• 1.5 tbsp honey


• 2 tbsp fish sauce


• juice of 1 lime/lemon

1. Mixed well the sauce ingredients in a bowl.


2. Then add in the glass noodle and toss well to coat the sauce.


3. In a large plate, assembled the glass noodle and garnish with carrot, shallot, spring onion, peanut and rocket salad.


4. Served and enjoy the simple salad.

One can also add cooked prawn, shredded chicken to add another dimension to the salad.

Happy 2011

Wishing all my readers a brand new 2011. Yes some of you already made new year resolution. As for me, I'm glad that I've 2 weeks break and shall resume work tommorow. Of course there were invitation to spend Christmas & NewYear in New York, but hey had to forego the idea as traveling during this period is kind of touch and go due to weather. It's nice during the end of year to slow down and relax before the hustle and bustle begins. Felt energize after this break.

I wish all of you a good year ahead and stay tuned for Apron's Delight recipes. Enjoy.


Seared scallop with garlic oil