Or Nee

The recipe for Or Nee- a traditional Teochew dish is really very simple. Or Nee is a calarie filled, sweet dish that gives complete satisfaction. Eat and grow fat mentality people will enjoy this dish. With loads of ginko nuts to complement the dish, you are supposed to be grow more intelligent after consuming this food.

Just now, after following an online blog to bake a Yam Cheesecake, I found quite a bit of steamed yam left behind. Frankly the prospect of eating the Or Nee is more exciting than eating the cheesecake. But I must admit, I enjoyed the process of making the cheesecake than making the Or Nee is quite an idiot proof process.

Yam- steam, mashed.
Oil
Sugar
1 tbsp coconut milk (optional)

Using the neoflam pan, just add a generous dash of oil.
Put the yam in and fry gently.
Add more oil, sugar and continue to stir it.
A distinct bicep is a by product of cooking this dish.

Err.. what are the measurements of this dish? It is simple up to the person.
Generous amount of oil to achieve the gooey effect, sugar to make you high.
Just taste as you stir along. When you get the right taste, add in the coconut milk, stir for one or two more mins and you can stop.

Cook ginko nuts with sugar. Just buy a vacuum pack of ginko nuts, pour the amount you want into a pot, add a tbsp or two of sugar. Cook under low fire for 15 mins. No water is needed.
Add gingko nuts on top of O Nee and enjoy- Teochew enjoyment .

Yam cheesecake

Reading the Food section in Sunday Straits Times is a weekly routine. Last week, an interesting recipe Orh Nee Cheesecake was featured. After some hesitation, I decided to halve the recipe, adapt to the ingredients at home as the ingredients are not cheap.

Crust
70g Oreo Cookies
30g butter melted
20g almond flakes

Cake
1 box Philedelphia Cheese
60g sugar
1 egg
80ml Nestle Heavy cream
120g yam (steamed, mashed to bits)

Topping
120ml Greek yogart.
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp sugar

Crust
1. Prepare the crust by mising the ingredients.
2. Press them into a pre- alumined lined tin.
3. Scatter almond flakes on top.
4. Put in freezer for 30 ,ins.

Main
1. Beat cheese and sugar for 5 mins on medium.
2. Add eggs.
3. Stop the mixture and stir the ingredients.
4. Add heavy cream.
5. Add yam in.
6. Pour mixture on top of the crust.
7. Bake in water bath tray for 1 hr.
8. Gas mark 4, 170 degrees.

Topping
1. Take cake out to cool for 5 mins.
2. Add topping ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
3. Whisk happily for 3 mins.
4. Pour on top of cheesecake.
5. Bake for 5 mins in gas mark 3 or 150 degrees.
6. Cool for 2 hours and further put in fridge for 6 hours.

Enjoy
1. Put cheesecake in freezer for 1 hour.
2. Take it out, put cutting knife in a cup filled with hot water.
3. Dry knife carefully and cut cheesecake.
4. Dip the knife again in hot water.
5. Dry it carefully before cutting next slice.
Enjoy.

The remainder of the yam was made into Or Nee. Real Teochew taste.
Watch the next post.

Crabstick snack

Crabstick snack is a crispy snack made of - crabstick. I first ate it in Coca, a thai steamboat restaurant. It taste so very nice. Later I had craving for it and bought it for $7.90. I found out from Blessed Homemaker how to do it. Thank you so much for saving me many $7.90.

1 packet of crabsticks- stredded

1. Microwave high- 2 mins

2. Stir

3. Microwave high 2 mins

It is so easy. It may look slightly droopy when you first remove it from the microwave. Just leave it to cool and it will turn crispy. Enjoy

Chinese New Year Peanut Cookie

Chinese New Year Peanut cookies

The man of the house has been commenting that he misses peanut cookies for Chinese New Year. Not a fan of peanut cookies, I thought I will bake a few just to keep the sincerity in our marriage going. A few sites provide inspiration; Samantha and here. This cookie is so easy it is almost idiot proof. However, do slow down on the oil, sometimes it is not necessary to use it all before the dough comes to gether.

300 salted groundnut
200 gms castor sugar
250 gms flour
250 ml of oil (or less)
pinch of salt
Egg wash- egg yolk plus a tsp of water

1. Put all dry ingredients in.
2. Add almost all the oil
3. Mix until a dough is formed.
4. Add the remaining oil if the ingreidents still do not form a dough.
5. Roll the ingredients into little balls- about 15g
6. Or use a bottle cap with a cling film to form uniform shapes.
7. Use the round base of a spoon and push gently on top for some pattern.
8. Glaze it with egg wash.
9. Bake it in preheated oven of 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
10. Voila: idiot proof peanut cookies.

Chinese New Year Pineapple Tarts

Buying pineapple tarts is the easiest thing in Singapore. NTUC, Cold Storage or any bakery will offer dazzling arrays of pineapple tarts. Open, Close, Flower shaped, shells. However making my own pineapple tarts provides a different flavor- sincerity. Though the taste may not be perfect but it is the thought that counts.
This recipe is taken from a friend's sister who bakes for Chinese New Year. The secret: custard powder.

350g plain flour
20g custard powder
1 egg yolk
50g sugar
250g butter
250g pineapple paste (from phoon haut)

• Bring butter to room temperature (approximately 1 hr)
• Put butter, sugar, flour, custard powder together.
• Rub them briskly with finger tips till it resembles bread crumbs.
• Add in egg yolk
• Mix
• Put the mixture into the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Weigh 15g of pineapple paste to 10g of dough.
• Shape it into small balls.
• If you like yellow glaze on top, apple some egg wash on it.
• Bake in pre heat oven temperature of 170 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Chiffon Cake

Adapted from okashi; by Keiko Ishida.

Preparation time: 30 mins
Baking time: 50 mins
Tempreture: 180 degrees celcius

Ingredients

Step A
5 Egg Yolks
20g fine sugar
60g oil
60g water
1 tsp Rum or Vanilla essence
80g cake flour

Step B
110g fine sugar
10g corn flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
5 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
2. Prepare A first
3. Beat egg yolks and sugar well
4. Add water, oil and rum.
5. Seive in flour and mix until mixure becomes sticky. Put aside.
6. Step B
7. In a mixer, beat egg whites until foamy.
8. Add in half the sugar only after egg whites are foamy.
9. Slowly add in rest of sugar cream of tartar and corn flour.
10. Beat until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.
11. Add a third of the egg white mixture (meringue) to egg yolk mixture.
12. Fold lightly and add the rest in.
13. Pour batter into ungreased chiffon cake tube pan.
14. Bake for 45-80 minutes.
15. Turn cake upside down when it is done to cool.
16. After one hour, run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it.
17. Invert it on the wire rack.

A light and yummy cake; most suitable for a light tea.