Deep-fry Pork Shoulder Collar

Another gift from Japan :-) Thanks MO!

Still kept in suspense as I do not read Japanese.

Noodles! I can't read Japanese but from the pictures, it can be eaten either hot or cold. For serving it cold, maybe something like soba? Pardon the little hand as my youngest was trying to "help".

I was trying to "replicate" a dish I saw on TV some time back. It was crispy pork shoulder collar deep-fried with garlic. I fried them in 2 batches, the first batch was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. While I was frying the 2nd batch, I was washing up the dishes and didn't quite watched over the fire. The 2nd lot was darker in colour and extremely crispy. I prefer the 1st lot but kids and DH like the 2nd batch with extra crisp.

As I've not tried the one featured on TV, there was no benchmarking. Also, if you have been following my blog, you know I don't take good pictures and couldn't be bothered with presentation but since DH and the kids like this, I suppose it is a good enough dish for me to share here :P

Ingredients

(A)

300g pork shoulder collar, sliced thinly

1 - 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp dried thyme

some pepper

(B)

1/2 - 3/4 cup rice flour

2 garlic bulbs, peeled into cloves

(C)

Oil for frying

Method

1. Wash and pat dry pork shoulder collar with kitchen towel. Slice thinly and marinate with soy sauce, dried thyme and some pepper for 2 - 3 hours.
2. Coat each strip of pork shoulder collar with rice flour.
3. Heat up 1/3 pot of oil over medium flame, deep fry garlic and coated pork shoulder collar till golden brown. Dish and serve.

Sweet Potato Bread II

The baking bug was here to bite! I've been baking bread after bread despite doubling the recipe, and there was none left for freezing. For every bake, there were 2 loaves. 1 loaf was eaten up fresh from the oven by my 3 gluttons (and myself :P) and the other loaf for our breakfast the next morning.

Some time back, I've made this Sweet Potato Bread. At that point in time, I've got 2 recipes on hand but I decided to adapt Honey Bee Sweets' recipe first. Today, I decided to try out the other recipe from hidehide's blog. Again, it's a purple sweet potato recipe but I changed it using orange-coloured sweet potato instead.

Both recipes yielded soft loaves. Sister E tried a sweet potato bread recipe from her breadmachine's recipe book and gave good reviews too. I guess we can't go wrong with sweet potatoes ;-)

Made 3 small porcupines with this recipe, it was cute to look at but when shaped into small buns, the bread somehow lost it's texture, it became dry but my children love it to bits for it was just too cute for them (at least for the 2 elder ones).

While I was updating this blog, I just realised that both recipes are very similiar except that for this recipe, it uses less butter and sweet potato. For texture wise, both tasted great and stayed soft on 2nd day.

Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients
400g bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
40g sugar
2 tsp yeast
150ml warm water (I use tap water)
1 egg
40g butter
200g purple sweet potato, steamed and mashed

Method

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Let the machine knead for 15mins, stop the cycle and re-start the machine and let the dough knead for another cycle.
2. Let it proof in machine for 45 - 60 mins or till double in size.
3. When proofing is completed, punch down the bread dough to release the air.
4. Divide dough into 3 equal portions and shape into balls. Let the dough rest for 15 mins.
5. Roll out each portion into a long flat oval shape, then roll up lengthwise, swiss roll style to form a long rope. Pinch to seal all sides.
6. Place dough (seam side down) in lightly greased bread tin/pan. Proof for another 45-60 mins or until dough is double in size.
7. Bake at pre-heated oven at 170C - 180C for 25 to 30mins.
8. Remove bread to cool on rack completely.

Peanut Butter Bread

It had been a while since I last bake a loaf of bread. When I don't bake, I totally forgot about it but once I get started, I couldn't myself from baking :P

Attempted HHB's Peanut Butter Bread since my peanut butter had been sitting in my fridge for the longest time.

Originally a breadmachine recipe but I had it plaited and baked it in my oven instead. . And instead of using powdered milk since I don't have any at home, I replaced water with full-cream milk.

Baked it in my 9" x 5" loaf pan as I don't have a pullman loaf pan.

Here's another one plaited but slightly longer.

And it went into my 4" round pan.

The bread was soft and airy, BUT I thought the bread tasted rancid but kids love it. Again, another recipe that couldn't please everyone.

Peanut Butter Bread

Ingredients

300ml milk

3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

1 tablespoon oil

450g (3 cups) bread flour

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1 & 1/4 teaspoons instant or fast-acting dried yeast

Method

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Let the machine knead for 15mins, stop the cycle and re-start the machine and let the dough knead for another cycle.
2. Let it proof in machine for 30 - 45 mins or till double in size.
3. When proofing is completed, punch down the bread dough to release the air.
4. Divide dough into 2 portions (optional). Shape as required and let it proof on lined or greased baking tray for another 45-60 mins or until dough is double in size.
5. Bake at pre-heated oven at 180C for 30 to 35mins.
6. Remove bread to cool on rack completely.

Matcha Red Bean Loaf

Besides our pizza dinner, I made Matcha Red Bean Loaf using the trusted milk loaf recipe as I was trying to finish up my can of matcha before expiry.

I made 2 loaves, one with red bean paste, one plain loaf and 4 mini buns for the little hands.

Today, I added an extra teaspoon of matcha and the colour was a nice vibrant green and we could taste the matcha in this bread :)

Argh!! I forgot to take a picture of the loaf before slicing as I was in a hurry to pick up my cranky 20 months old. I'm happy with what I see inside :) Unfortunately, the kids and DH don't like the red bean paste and preferred the plain loaf.

Matcha Red Bean Milk Loaf
(Recipe adapted from Happy Homebaker)
250g fresh/UHT milk
1 egg
50g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
500g bread flour
2tsp Instant yeast
70g butter (unsalted)
4 tsp matcha (green tea powder)

Method

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Let the machine knead for 15mins, stop the cycle and re-start the machine and let the dough knead for another cycle.
2. Let it proof in machine for 30 - 45 mins or till double in size.
3. When proofing is completed, punch down the bread dough to release the air.
4. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a big rectangle. The width of the dough should be slightly bigger than the length of your loaf tin/pan. Roll out the dough as long as you can manage. Spread the dough with a layer of red bean paste(or any filling of your choice). Roll up tightly (make as many rolls/turns as you can) swiss-roll style. Pinch the dough to seal the seam tightly.
5. Place dough (seam side down) in lightly greased bread tin/pan. Cover with cling wrap and let the dough proof for the second time for about 45~60 mins.
6. Bake at pre-heated oven at 180C for 30 to 35mins.
7. Remove bread to cool on rack completely.

Thin Crust Pizza

We've had enough of porridge and soupy food for the past 1 week so I decided to pamper the kids with pizza today. I've not baked pizza for the longest time, if I need to put a figure to it, I think it was like 3 years ago when I made pizza using my AMC roasting pan. I didn't like to use my oven then as I was using a 3-in-1 microwave oven and it was so tiny I could only bake 1 tray at a time. It was relatively easy to "bake" with the AMC pan but I can't get a crisp crust and the cheese layer doesn't brown.

I like to involve my children in the kitchen if the task ain't too difficult. Today, the two younger ones helped to remove the stalks of the fresh button mushrooms (we don't have the habit of eating the stalks). It was a mess especially when my 20 months girl was literally ripping the mushrooms apart and I heard lots of scolding from my DS2 hahahaha!

I sauteed the mushrooms with some butter and used them as toppings with long yoke/bak kwa and tomatoes. This is one randomly mix and match combination with no proper theme but what the heck, who says there must be a theme to homemade pizza? :P


We love our pizza with loads of cheese so I had them flooded with mozzarella cheese (that's about 125g cheese on each pizza pan).

The 2 older kids helped to spread the tomato paste and laid the ingredients. Not too bad for a 7 yo and a 4 yo ;-)

Again, loaded with more cheese :)

I've made some changes to the original recipe by adding a bit more water as the dough was too dry. Also, original recipe does not require pre-baking the crust but I do not wish to race with time should something crop up so I sent them to the oven and baked for 8 - 10 mins and left them to cool till further use. We like this better as the pre-baking process helped to keep the crust crisp.

I sliced each pizza into 8 wedges and DD1 ate 4! I'm glad my whole family enjoyed their dinner tonight, even DD3 who's a fussy eater ate a slice ^-^

Thin Crust Pizza

(Recipe adapted from Kitchen Capers)
Dough (Yield: 2 pcs 12 inch pizza)

Ingredients

130ml Water

3 TBsp Olive oil

1 tsp Salt

2 cups All purpose flour

2 tsp Yeast

Method

1. Put all ingredients in breadmachine. Knead using dough cycle. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tbsp of olive oil/water at a time to form dough.
2. After the kneading cycle is completed, let it proof in machine for 30 - 45 mins or till double in size.
3. Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal portions.
4. Roll out each portion to a round, about 12" in size. Place dough on baking tray lined with parchment paper or on a well greased pan.
5. Dock with a fork all around the crust.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 8 - 10 mins. Set aside till further use.
7. Spread tomato paste over the dough and covering near end of edge (about 1 cm away). Add your favourite toppings and cheese.
8. Baked pizza in pre-heated oven at 200C for 10 - 12 mins or until the crust has turned golden brown and when the cheese has melted.
9. Serve and enjoy!

In training to be a stronger woman

It had been a lousy week for me especially when DH is not in town to help out. However, I survived with simple meals and no baking. Definitely looking forward to DH's return.

26 October 2009, Monday

• Midnight: DD3 started coughing and it was really phlegmy.
• 2am: Poo-ed (diarrhea) in her sleep but did not stain the bed. Brought her for a quick shower and put her back to bed.
• 6am: There was a pungent stench in my room. DD3 had diarrhea again and the bed was stained. Bathed DD3 again and changed the bedsheet (I just changed 2 days ago!!) and mattress protector.
• 6.30am: Prepared DD1 to school and walked the dog.
• 7.30am: Sanitised the mattress.
• 8am - 9.30am: Prepared DS2 for school.
• 9.30am: Brought DD3 to see a doctor but the queue was extremely long (over 10 in the list) so I decided to bring her back home for her morning nap.
• 10.30am: Vacuumed the whole house since I have brought out my steamed vacuum cleaner.
• 11.45am: Fetched DS2 from school (MIL offered to cook lunch so one chore down for me, phew!)
• 12.15pm: Brought DD3 to clinic again, was prescibed antibiotics with diarrhea, cough and runny nose medicine. She was better in the later part of the day.

Outdoor Activity: An hour at the neighbourhood park in the evening :-)

27 October 2009, Tuesday

• 6.30am: DD1 woke up complaining tummy ached. I thought she cried wolf and I got so mad with her. Sent her off to school without any considerations.
• 11.30am: Teacher called to say DD1 vomitted several times in school. She asked DD1 if she wants to go home but she insisted on taking her Pratical Maths Exam. However she was too ill to complete her exam and only managed to finish Section 1/4. I was cooking lunch and DD3 was napping. I had to fetch DS2 at 12pm. Had to keep my cool and think of best alternative. In the end, I decided to drive there. I was worried DD3 might not want to sit in the car seat alone (rear seats) as I'm always by her side when DH drives. She behaved very well and did not fuss, not even a single whine. Managed to make it back in time to fetch DS2.
• 12pm - 5pm: DD1 ate nothing but slept throughout.
• 5.30pm: Brought her to the clinic, diagnosed as Gastroenteritis. I felt like a bad mom for not trusting her :'-( Apologised to her and she accepted it gracefully.
• 7pm: I felt nausea and slight abdominal discomfort. I've gotten the bug too. I felt worst for treating her that way in the morning.

Outdoor Activity: A visit to the clinic :-(

28 October 2009, Wednesday

• 8am: DS2 started coughing with phlegm.
• 10am: Lugged all 3 to the clinic (our third visit in 3 days!).
• 12.30pm: MIL offered to cook lunch so we had a good rest after our medication.
• 4.30pm: Feeling better, I decided to cut the children's hair (long overdue haircut).

Outdoor Activity: Hair cutting along the corridor and children blew bubbles.

29 October 2009, Thursday

• 9am: Brought DS2 to school and proceeded to the supermarket with the girls.
• 10.30am: Home for DD3's nap.
• 11am: Lunch preparation.
• 12pm: Time to fetch DS2 from school.
• 12.30pm: Lunch
• 4pm - 5.30pm: DD1 skated while the two younger ones played hide-and-seek at neighbourhood void deck. But just when we got there, DD3 poo-ed! Had to lug all 3 home to wash her, and brought them down again.

Outdoor Activity: 1 1/2 hours skating/running.

Instant Roti Prata Puff

We brought DD1 for her eye review last Friday and were astonished that her myopia has worsened from a power of 75 to 200 within 4 months. If her condition does not maintain in the next few months, she may be prescribed Atropine to prevent her myopia from worsening. Atropine causes the pupil to dilate and allow more light to enter, thus causing glare which can damage the eye. Atropine also causes blurring of the near vision by paralyzing the eye muscles used to focus for near. The long-term risks of Atropine is still unknown. We are concern because she's only 7.

It had been a busy weekend for us, trying to bring her outdoor as much as we could. I had to squeeze in a daily routine of 30 mins outdoor play and I really wonder how am I going to cope home alone. Yes, DH just flew off to India yesterday. I know it's tough but I'm sure I can manage, that's what I always tell myself. Positive thinking = winning half the battle! Ganbate!!

It had been ages since I last baked some bread but since it's relatively time consuming for me to shape and proof and bake in the oven, I decided to use instant roti prata instead.


I used some peppery hotdogs from the local supermarket sprinkled with grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese. The kids love these!

These triangular ones were stuffed with mushroom ham and grated cheese.

Roti Prata Puffs

Ingredients

Instant roti prata

Fillings (ham/tuna/hotdog/curry potato)

Some cheese (optional)

Method

1. Cut slightly thawed roti prata into half and add fillings.
2. Fold it into a triangle shape and pinch all edges to prevent fillings from leaking.
3. Bake at pre-heated oven of 200C for 30 mins or till golden brown.

Note

I usually bake this the night before and put them into the toaster oven the next day.