Caramel Popcorn

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Popcorn or popping corn is corn (maize) which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. There are many techniques for popping corn from either normal kitchen pan/pot, microwave to large scale popcorn machines. Usually Popcorn is eaten in movie theatres that served in choices such as salted or sweetened. But now instead of having it only in the cinema, we could also easily make them at home or purchase in major supermarkets.

About a year ago "Garrett Popcorn" which is a chain of popcorn outlets open it's first outlet in Resort World Sentosa and now they have many other outlets located in Singapore too. (detail HERE). I love their Caramel Flavour with Macadamia Nuts where I could enjoy my favourite nuts and popcorn coated with delicious caramel.

CARAMEL POPCORN

My boy prefers popcorn which is sweeten like those sold in the "cinema" compared to those available in the commercial shops (either nuts, chocolate,  cheese, colouring and etc). And since it is pretty easier to make "popcorn" at home using minimum ingredients and a cooking pot (or home type popcorn machine), we always "pop" some whenever we crave for them.

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Corn Kernel

Caramel Sauce:
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Golden Syrup
3/4 Cup Caster Sugar
100g Butter Chopped

Method:-

1. Line a big baking tray with baking papers, allowing 2cm overhang at long ends.

2. Heat oil in HCP(or any cooking pan) over medium heat. Add 2 - 3 corn kernels to test the heat. (Oil is hot enough when corn turns slowly in a circle)

3. Add remaining corn, cover and lock the pan(if using HCP). Shake pan gently when corn starts popping.

4. Remove from heat when corn stops popping. Transfer to a bowl and discard un-popped corn.

5. To make Caramel Sauce:- Clean the pan using kitchen paper towel after removing the popcorn. Place honey, golden syrup, sugar and butter in the pan. Stir and cook over very low heat for about 6 minutes or until sugar dissolved.

6. Next bring the mixture to boil without stirring for another 5 minutes or until light golden.

7. Work quickly, pour mixture over popcorn and stir to combine. Rest caramel popcorn in prepared lined baking tray to cool completely.

8. Break into pieces and served or stored in air-tight containers.

Although this recipe is done using Happy Call Pan (HCP) but you still can apply the same method using any heavy duty pan/pot to achieve the similar results. Have a lovely weekend everyone!!! Cheers!

Stir-fry Fu Gui Cai and Stuffed Mushrooms with Black Moss, Glutinous Rice Wine Chicken

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Time flies, today is the 3rd day of Chinese Lunar New Year and I am sure most of you have being busying with the house to house visiting plus feasting on the delicious New Year goodies and food. Even though nowadays we could easily ordered or enjoy a hassle free reunion dinner in restaurants but I believe there are still many housewives, mothers, grandparents and etc busying with the preparation of their signature dishes for reunion dinner.

I remember when I was a kid, I always look forward to Chinese New Year to feast on those "special" dishes that my dad would only cook during New Year. And although I am not a very good cook like my dad, every Chinese New Year I would still try to cook up one or two of my self concoct dishes for my family.

STIR-FRY FU GUI CAI AND STUFFED MUSHROOM WITH BLACK MOSS
富贵花开

For this year reunion dinner, I have prepared this quick and easy stuffed mushrooms with minced meat and black moss dish to serve together the auspicious greens known as Fu Gui Cai(富贵菜). To make it more colourful and appetising, I have also added gingko nuts and wolfberries to enhance the presentation.

I would be submitting this Stir-fry Fu Gui Cai and Stuffed Mushrooms with Black Moss dish to this month Aspiring Baker #15 - Auspicious Dishes for CNY (January 2012) that is hosted by Wen of Wen's Delight.

(serves: 3-4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
6 - 8 Dried Medium Chinese Mushrooms, soaked in hot water till soften
150g Minced Meat
10g Black Moss(发菜), pre-soaked in water
10 Gingko Nuts
1 Floret of Fu Gui Cai(富贵菜)
Some Wolfberries
1 Red Chilli, sliced
3 Slices Ginger
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Teaspoon Cooking Wine
1 Teaspoon Cornflour + 1 Tablespoon Water, mixed well

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Cooking Wine
Dash of Pepper

Sauce:
100ml Water
3 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sugar

Method:-

1. Mix minced meat, black moss and seasonings together and set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes if time permit.

2. Stuff about 1 tablespoon of the minced meat mixture into the pre-soaked mushrooms.

3. Preheat Happy Call pan with about 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the stuffed mushrooms for about 1 minutes each side or until cooked. (HCP close but don't lock) Remove and set aside.

4. Add in another 1 tablespoon of oil to saute ginger and garlic till fragrant before adding in the Fu Gui Cai (remove the leaves from the floret, reserved 1/4 of the last portion to act as flower), chilli and gingko nuts. Close the pan and let it cook for another 1 minute before giving it a quick stir and close the pan for another 30 seconds.

5. Next add in the cooked stuffed mushrooms together with the sauce mixture and give the mixture a quick sit-fry and simmer on low heat for another 30 seconds before removing the vegetables.(arrange the vegetables in the middle of the plate)

6. Lastly with the mushrooms and gingko nuts still remains in the pan, add in corn star mixture and cooking wine and wolfberries, mix well with all the ingredients.

7. Remove and arrange mushrooms on serving plate around the fu gui cai. You can also decorate the mushroom with the wolfberries shown above.

Note:-

~ If you prefer you could replaced the dried mushroom with fresh shiitake mushrooms.

~ Pick up other greens such as broccoli, xiao ba cai or etc according to your preference if fu gui cai is not available.

~ For more varieties you could also add in fish or prawn paste to the minced meat mixture.

GLUTINOUS RICE WINE CHICKEN
黄酒鸡

This Glutinous Rice Wine Chicken(黄酒鸡) is one of the traditional Hakka dish eaten during confinement or Chinese New Year. To cook this dish usually they would buy kampong chicken instead of the normal chicken and simmer it together with their homemade Glutinous Rice Wine. According to the Hakka this dish is good to replenish lack of blood due to fatigue, malnutrition, cold chills, irregular menstruation, anemia, postpartum weakness and etc.

(serves: 2-3 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Chicken(about 600g), cut into bite sizes
1 Tablespoons of Sesame Oil
6 Slices of Ginger, cut into thin strips
200ml - 250ml of Glutinous Rice Wine
6 Red Dates, cut into thick slices
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Marinade:
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Light Soy sauce
1 Teaspoon Cooking Wine

Method:-

1. Marinate the chicken with cornflour, sesame oil, light soya sauce and cooking wine for at least 10 minutes.

2. Preheat Happy Call Pan on low heat with sesame oil and saute gingers till fragrance(close but don't lock).

3. Add in marinated chicken and cook on low heat for 1 minute (closed and locked), flip the pan over and cook for another 1 minute.

4. Next flip the pan back, add in rice wine and red dates, locked the pan and simmer over low heat for about 8 - 10 minutes till the chicken is tender and cooked through.

5. Lastly add in salt to taste and serve hot.

Emmm perhaps you could also share with us which is your favourite Chinese New Year dish too :)

Sweet and Savoury Longevity Noodles ~ 长寿面

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3 More days to Chinese Lunar New Year and everyone is busying with some last minutes shopping on clothing or groceries. Here in order to usher in wealth and good luck for the year of the dragon, I have prepared two auspicious "Longevity" noodles recipes to share with you.

And with these two noodle dishes I wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year that comes with many folds of blessing, health and wealth.

SWEET LONGEVITY NOODLES

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Longevity Noodles(长寿面) is often eaten during Birthday or festive season such as Chinese New Year. And it is eaten to symbolise longevity together with a pair of hard-boiled eggs which representing fertility or life. There are many ways on preparing longevity noodles based on individual dialect groups and culture. Some might also use "Mee Suah/Mian Xian" ( 面线), Ee-Fu(伊面) noodles together with meat and etc to cook a sweet or savoury version.

(serves: 2 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients: 
Half Packet (150g) of Handmade Red Noodle
4 Eggs
1 Knot of Pandan Leave
3 Slices of Ginger
Red/Brown Sugar to Taste

Method:-

1. To make hard-boiled eggs, bring fresh eggs and water to boil then simmer over medium low heat for about 8 - 10 minutes depending on your preference.

2. Using another pot, bring 1.2 litres of water to boil, add in ginger slices and pandan leave then let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Meantime spread out the handmade red noodles and put it in boiling water for 1 minutes, stir occasionally. When soften, remove, rinse with water and drained well and divide into serving bowls.

4 Next add in shelled hard-boiled eggs and sugar to sweeten the soup(you can add in slightly more sugar as the noodles would balance the taste when added).

5. Lastly ladle the soup and eggs over the noodles and served immediately.

This quick and simple "Sweet Longevity Noodles" is something that my dad would prepared for me and my brother's Birthday during our childhood time. We have not eaten this for so long ever since we grown up and my dad passed away.

But today, suddenly I have this urge to replicate this dish which bought back many of my childhood memories. I guess nowadays the younger generation would find it hard to appreciate this traditional dish which might one day become extinct.

BRAISED EE FU NOODLES
(Cantonese-style Longevity Noodles)

Ee-Fu/Yi Mein(伊面) is one of the flat Cantonese egg noodles that is made from wheat flour and I am sure most of you are familiar with this noodle dish as it is a very common noodle dish served in most Chinese restaurant during special occasions such as wedding or birthday dinners. So in a way, this Cantonese-style noodle is also known as "Longevity" noodles too.

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Packet Dried Hong Kong Ee-Fu Noodles, about 350g
250ml Chicken Stock
4 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
4 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
100g Small Dried Chinese Mushrooms, soaked till soften
200g Bean Sprouts, root removed
1 Bundle Yellow Chives, cut into sections
Splash of Cooking Wine(Hua Tiao Wine)
Dash of Pepper

Method:-

1. Bring a big pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for about 5 minutes or until softened. Drained and set aside.

2. In a wok/frying pan, heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and saute the mushrooms(squeeze dry) over low heat for about 3 minutes till fragrance.

3. Next add in the mixture of chicken stock, oyster sauce, sugar and dark soy sauce into the mushrooms and bring the mixture to boil.

4. Tip in the noodles and toss to coat with the sauce before tossing in the bean sprouts and yellow chives.

5. Give the mixture a good stir and if it dries up, add in another 50ml of chicken stock/hot water and simmer over low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes).

6. Lastly adjust the seasoning to taste, add in splash of cooking wine and pepper, serve immediately.

Note:-

~ You can replace dried Chinese mushrooms with fresh shiitake mushrooms.

~ Replace Abalone/Scallop Sauce with Oyster Sauce for better taste.

Lastly I am submitting this Braised Ee Fu Noodles dish to this month Aspiring Baker #15 - Auspicious Dishes for CNY (January 2012) that is hosted by Wen of Wen's Delight.

For more Chinese New Year recipes do hope over to my previous post HERE.

Happy Call Pan Recipes - Baked Sweet Potato, Sizzling Tofu and Claypot Rice

It's Happy Call Pan(HCP) recipes again! As I have mentioned before this is an "IN" kitchen gadget which is it one of the hot discussion topic in forum and Facebook. With it's quick and easy pressure cooking method, this pan has won the hearts of many people especially homemakers who aim to cook healthier dishes for the family.

In this post I would be sharing another 3 recipes using this HCP to Bake Sweet Potato, cook Sizzling Tofu and our favourite Claypot Rice (without using claypot).

Joining the Happy Call craze - Bak Kwa, Stir-fry Choy Sum and Grilled Teriyaki Saba

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Bracing into a brand new Year, a good head start with healthy cooking and diet would be my aim for this 2012. As age is catching up we have to be more careful with the food we eat and the way it is prepared. So since two months back I have being trying to in cooperate more steamed and baked dishes such as at least two steamed fish per week and daily stir-fry/blanched green vegetables.

We also tried to cut down or replace fatty meat and high carbo stuffs to perhaps once a week or every two weeks. Sometime I think working in the kitchen is rather more difficult and hectic than working in the office. As we have to plan the daily menu, grab fresh ingredients and at the same time monitor the in take of food in order to create a healthy life-style which I think is not an easy job. In this post, I would love to share with you a new pan and a facebook group which I have discovered recently and I hope it might add some good tips to your kitchen pantry and meal planning too.

Actually I got to know Happy Call pressure pan(HPC) quite long ago through my mum as she is using it for cooking since 2 years back.  And since I have my own loyal brand of non-stick pan I didn't bother to find out more about Happy Call pan from mum and I also seldom use it in my daily cooking. It's only until recently that I bump into a Happy Call group(known as Munch Ministry) in facebook where the members use it to cook up a lot of delicious and effortless dishes then I realise the magic of this pan.

I have two sizes of Happy Call pressure pan - which are the Normal pan and Deep Ocher Pan both can be used for cooking, baking and steaming. Below are 3 quick and easy recipes using HCP which I hope you would find it useful if you do own a HCP too. (for your information this is not a advertorial post, it is only base on my personal view and sharing)

BAK KWA - BBQ PORK

Chinese New Year is barley about 3 weeks around the corner and everyone is busying with spring cleaning, storing up groceries and etc. Recently at the Happy Call facebook group where most of its members are using Happy Call pressure pan to make interesting snacks and pastries. And since Chinese New Year is approaching everyone is joining the craze to make Bak Kwa - BBQ Pork. 

Recipe adapted from Munch Ministry website, HERE.
(Make: 5 pieces | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 - 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
250g Minced Pork Meat
1 Tablespoon Maltose
1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Cooking/Rose Wine
1 Teaspoon Red Glutinous Rice Lees
1/4 Teaspoon Five Spice Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Method:-

1. Marinate the minced pork with the rest of the ingredients for about 30 minutes or more in the refrigerate.

2. Cut the baking paper according to the size of your Happy Call pan, set aside.

3. Spoon about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture on prepared baking paper, spread out thinly according to your preference. (refer to the photos above)

4. Preheat Happy Call pan (without oil) for 1 minute, place a sheet of the meat spread on the pan. Once the base is cooked, flip the meat over and slowly remove the baking paper.

5. On low heat continue to pan fry each side until cooked and a bit charred. Remove and repeat on another sheet of meat spread. (you can wipe the pan with paper kitchen towel in between to remove any burnt residue or stain )

Although ours is not as nicely done as compared to those commercial ones outside but this is indeed our 1st time making Bak Kwa at home and it is definitely something interesting.  At least we know what kind of ingredients is being used and we can to control the amount of sweetness and taste accordingly to our preference too. For more information and video on how to make Bak Kwa you can refer to the website at HERE.

STIR-FRY CHOY SUM

Using Happy Call pressure pan to stir-fry vegetables retain it's natural green and crunchy texture which our family loves.  And moreover the quick cooking due to the heat pressure enable food to cook faster and less hassle due to oil splashing and etc during cooking.

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Baby Choy Sum, cut into sections
3 Fresh shiitakeMushroom, thickly sliced
3 Slices of Ginger
2 Clove of Garlics
1 Teaspoon of Oil
1 Teaspoon Knorr Hao Chi All-in-1 Seasoning 1 Teaspoon Cooking Wine

Method:-

1. Soak and rinse the vegetables at last twice before draining it well and set aside.

2. Preheat Happy Call pan for about 2 minutes, saute ginger, garlic cloves and mushroom with some oil for about 1 minute(pan closed and locked).

3. Open the pan, give the wilted mushroom a quick stir, evenly spread the drained vegetable on top. Cover the pan, locked and cook for 20 seconds before flipping the pan and cook another 20 seconds.(flipping the pan enables the dish to be evenly cooked)

4. Flip the pan over, open(red seal facing upwards) and drizzle some cooking wine and seasonings over the vegetables, give a quick stir and remove from pan.

5. To serve, top it with some fried shallot to enhance the flavour.

GRILLED TERIYAKI SABA

Finally at the 1st day 2012, I managed to spot fresh Saba fish at one of seafood stalls in my wet market. So without hesitate, I bought medium one to try out our favourite grilled Teriyaki Saba. Even though we love fish especially those pan-fried or grilled over stove but the stinky fishy smells always put me off cooking it until I discover this Happy Call pressure pan.

(serves: 2 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 8 - 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Medium Size Saba Fish, halves
Freshly Ground Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoon Homemade/Bottled Teriyaki Sauce

Method:-

1. Rinse and pat dry the fish with kitchen paper towel. Lightly marinate it with some salt and pepper, set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Preheat Happy Call pan for 2 minutes on low heat. put in the fish as shown above. Cover, locked and cook for 3 minutes before flipping over and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes. (I cook on medium heat for the last 1 minute to get that golden brown and crispy skin)

3. Lastly flip the pan over open, evenly drizzle the teriyaki sauce over the fish and let it cook for 10 second on low heat.

4. Remove and serve with either rice or noodle.

As you can see from the photo above, Happy Call pressure pan can cooks meat and fish perfect leaving it with a moist and tender texture. This fish is cook for around 8 minutes and we love its juicy and soft texture which compared some dry ones sold in certain Japanese restaurants or food center. And moreover the most importantly fact is it reduce that stinky fishy smell when frying fish and as well minimize the greasy area around the stove.

For the next Happy Call post, I would try making some cakes/pastries which I hope I would be able to share my experience with you too.