Tomato Ketchup

Ingredients

3 large tomatoes

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

0.5 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika powder

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp lea & perrins worcestershire sauce

Directions

• core and chop tomatoes removing all the seeds if possible
• put all ingredients in a pan and cook till boiling
• simmer for another 10-15 minutes more
• leave sauce to cool for 5-10mins and blend till smootht
• pour in airtight container or sterile bottle
• store in fridge

Foodnote

Run out of tomato sauce so decided to make my own. I have all ingredients on hand especially the paprika powder that is a gift from a dear friend all the way from US! This recipe is simple and I am very happy with the result. The consistency of the ketchup is perfect and not watery. Tasted so fresh and just enough acidity. I understand that this can last for up to 2 to 4 weeks in the fridge but I probably used it up by a week or so. Next time will definitely double the portion (I get about 200ml ketchup for this recipe)... but first I have to go to 711 to buy milk tea just so I can get another one or two of that cute little glass bottle hee hee.

Now I am looking forward to make my own homemade spicy chilli sauce. Must finish my current stock of store bought sauce first.

Tapai Ubi Kayu

Ingredients
ubi kayu (cassava) chopped and 3/4 boiled or steamed
powdered ragi (wine biscuit or yeast)
banana leaves & toothpick (optional)

Directions

• placed cool ubi kayu in container and sprinkle some powdered ragi to evenly spread on the surface (can be layered)
• cover the container and leave in a shelve or cabinet for 3 days
• after 3 days, the ubi kayu will undergo fermentation and gives off a sweet smell
• at this point, it is ready to be eaten or transferred in banana leaves and kept in the fridge

Foodnote
I am a fan of tapai and about time I made it myself. One day I am going to make apam tapai ubi... that would be fun! This tapai ubi is also good eaten with vanilla ice-cream... yes... eaten with ice cream. I had that as a dessert once during my friend's wedding and love it.

Spicy Kedondong

Ingredients
500g kedondong peeled and sliced
2 tablespoon plum powder
1 bird's eye chilli finely sliced

Directions

• combined everything together and chilled in the fridge
• ready to eat on it's own or added to salad or rice

Foodnote
Kedondong is also called ba long long in Singapore. Found this sold at Big Box for less than S$2. When I google, I discovered that there are actually lots of health benefits of this fruit. Next time I will try to blend and make juice... yummy!

Fudgy Pecan Brownies

Ingredients
140g butter at room temperature
200g melted semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup fine sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tsp liquid coffee/expresso (optional)
2/3 cup plain flour
0.5 cup chopped pecan
0.5 cup of chocolate chips

Directions

• pre-heat oven to 160 celcius and prepare approx 8x8" pan lined with baking paper (spray or grease the paper with butter)
• beat sugar and butter till well combined and add in eggs, vanilla and coffee
• whisk in melted chocolate and fold in the rest of the dry ingredients but do not over mix so that brownie will be less cakey
• pour into baking pan, levelled and drop the balance chocolate chips over it
• bake for 40-45min till stick comes out clean
• cool for 5mins before transferring on cooling to cool completely

Foodnote
It is valentine's day today... so that explains the colorful love sugar confetti hehe. Even though I don't celebrate valentine's day but I am so feeling loved aaawwww...

This brownie is so nice and fudgy and so chocolatey and so decadent and so sweet and oh so sinful. Good for that time of the month when I'm craving for chocolate. Would be nice to eat warm with a scoop of vanilla chocolate... ooh yummyyyy.

My niece love it. Very easy recipe.

Apam Wa Koh Kueh

Ingredients
tapai
240g cold rice
1.5 tbsp ragi (pounded to a fine powder)
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp water

syrup
140g caster sugar
400ml water
2 pandan leaves

300g rice flour
0.5 tbsp eno
colorings (optional)

optional
steamed grated coconut
red sugar

Directions

• prepare the tapai by mixing the ingredients together in a clean container. Cover the container and let it ferment for 3 days in a cool area
• when tapai is ready, put aside 80g of it to use and keep the rest to make another batch later (if no plan to make more... just make half portion of the tapai)
• prepare syrup by boiling ingreidents together till all sugar is dissolved, sieve if necessary and put aside to cool
• once syrup is cooled, pour it into rice flour and combine together till batter is smooth and not lumpy
• stir in tapai together, strain and leave for another 12 hours of fermentation in a covered bowl
• prepare the steamer till water boils
• add eno to the batter and divide to add different colorings if desired
• scoop into papercups or any moulds and steam under high heat for 15mins
• serve on its own or with grated coconut and red sugar

Foodnote
Been dying to make this.Just reminds me of childhood and pasar malam. Last time we thought it is called "ma ko keh". Looked around the internet for ages and finally found out it is called Wa Koh Kuih. Got this recipe here. This recipe is very traditional and takes few days to prepare.

By the way I bought the ragi (wine yeast) from Geylang market. I understand from a friend that you can also get it from an Indian shop.

Recipe is foolproof and the kueh is really yummy. Love the "Fatt Koh" which is the cracking on it. Will not shy away from putting more batter in the cup so that the crack will be more! My days of waiting is so worth it. Will make some more since I still have the tapai.

By the way, the tapai portion is enough for another 2 portion of kuih. If there are no plans of making this kueh again... just make half portion of the tapai is enough. I kept the balance in the fridge (almost exactly 160g) and make another batch few days later because just one portion is really not enough to share :)

Oh and also... fill the cup almost full so that the "explode" effect will be better!

DO NOT put extra eno... it will only harden the kueh instead of making it fluffier (learn my mistake hehe)

Oops ok one last tip... I added pandan leaves in the steamer so that the sweet smell of the kueh filled my kitchen. So nice...

Koci Labu

Ingredients

ripe pumpkin

glutinous rice flour

pinch of salt

coconut oul

banana leaves

fillings

fresh grated coconut

chopped gula melaka

pinch of salt

2-3 pandan leaves

Directions

• prepare fillings first by cooking the ingredients under slow fire and put it aside
• boil or steam pumpkin till soft
• mashed and add a bit of salt
• add glutinous rice flour bit by bit till dough is firm enough to shape
• scoop about a tablespoon of pumpkin dough and shape into a bowl 
• fill with coconut fillings and form into balls
• wotk till finish and place into a tray
• once done dip the pumpkin balls into coconut oil and wrap in banana leaf
• steam for 20-30 mins

Foodnote

A primary school friend always make kueh koci to sell. While surfing the net for recipe I came across kuih koci with pumpkin. Get so curious that I wanted to make it so badly hehe.. 

Usually kueh koci is covered in either vegetable oil or covered with coconut milk before wrapping. I just substitute with coconut oil because I feel like it hehe. Tasted good, soft and yummy. 

Steamed Sweet Corn Cake

Ingredients
4 eggs
150g sugar
250g cream of corn
250g fine flour (I use top flour)
1 tbsp baking powder
80g melted butter

Directions

• whip egg at high speed till frothy
• add in sugar in stages and whip for about 15min till light and fluffy
• add cream of corn and fold in flour that have been sifted with baking powder
• finally fold in melted butter
• pour mixture into greased cupcake mold and steam for at least 30mins or till skewer or stick comes out clean

Foodnote
I am a fan of steam kueh/cake and this recipe is shared by my good friend Teri (she probably got it off the net somewhere). Half way while beating the eggs and sugar, my cake mixer finally broke down complete with a teeny explosion, black smoke and burnt smell haaiizzz. So sad because this mixer belongs to my late mum and there is a date statung it was bought in September 1978. Time to get a new one soon or I have to use the handheld beater for my next cake. 

I used the traditional bamboo steam basket lined with baking paper. I personally think my cake looks cool. I tested the floral stamp that I got too heehe. My steam cake is yummy though i wished the top is smooth. Really yummm...

This will also work in papercup. Saw my friend did another batch which she put the stamp nicely in the middle of the kueh. Awesome!

Citron Herb Salad with 6min egg

Ingredients
any pre-packaged mixed salad
orange (chopped to small pieces)
egg

citron dressing
chopped garlic
olive oil
Bragg's apple cider vinegar
korean honey citron tea

Directions
6 minute egg

• put room temperature eggs in boiling water for 6 mins
• scoop egg and put in another bowl filled with ice
• egg should be firm but the yolk will be bright orange and a bit runny

Salad

• prepare dressing separately by combining all ingredients to taste
• pour over garden salad and orange
• toss lightly
•  top with nice 6min egg

Foodnote
Got the citron honey tea as a christmas present. Usually I made salad dressing similarly but with honey. I replaced it with the honey citron tea and is hooked. So yummy and is one of my favorite simple salad dressing now.