Osmanthus And Chestnut Koi Jelly Plus Osmanthus Flower Giveaways

Thinking of what dessert to make this coming Chinese New Year? Why not try this super easy Osmanthus And Chestnut Koi Jelly which I am sure your guests would be impress with those cute and auspicious Koi Fish (锦鲤) and Ingot (元宝). With just 3 main ingredients such as Osmanthus Flower, Konnyaku Jelly and Water Chestnut you could easily replicated this dessert which is similar to Osmanthus Cake (桂花糕) but in jelly form rather than cake.

OSMANTHUS AND CHESTNUT KOI JELLY

For this jelly dessert I did not add any food colouring and the "golden colour" effect comes from the natural colour of the Osmanthus flowers itself. So if your prefer a darker colour,  you could either add in a teaspoon more of the Osmanthus flower or a few drops of yellow food coloring. But if you cannot get hold of any Osmanthus Flower or Konnyaku Jelly, you could try another flavour instead of Osmanthus using Lemongrass with a reference recipe here.

As for the Koi And Ingot jelly mould, you could get it from Kitchen Caper. I bought mine with 3 different assorted mould for S$5.00 during their festive promotion.  

(Serves: 4-6  | Preparation: 15 minutes  | Cooking: 7 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Packet Red Man Brand Konnyaku Premix Jelly Powder
• 1200ml Water
• 3 - 4 Teaspoons Osmanthus Flower
• 1.5 Tablespoons Wolfberries, soaked till soften
• 8 Water Chestnuts, skin removed and diced
• 1 Knot of Pandan Leave, optional

Method:-
1. In a pot, add 1200ml of water and bring to boil together with pandan leave for 3 minutes to infuse the water with pandan leave fragrance. 

2. Lower the heat, add in osmanthus flowers and simmer on low heat for 2 minutes.

3. On the lowest heat, slowly stir in Konnyaku Jelly Powder using a balloon whisk or wooden spoon until powder fully dissolved. Turn off the heat and remove from stove.

4. Add 2 wolfberries (pre-soaked in water for 3 - 5 minutes till puff) and 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of water chestnut in each jelly mould (refer to the photo above).

5. Slowly pour in jelly solution into the prepared mould. Cool and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm it before serving.

Osmanthus And Chestnut Koi Jelly

Steam Osmanthus Cod Fish	Glutinous Red Date With Osmanthus Syrup	Huiji Steamed Pomfret With Osmanthus

Osmanthus Honey Tea

If you have no time to involve yourself in the kitchen, perhaps a cup of this refreshing Osmanthus Honey Tea (recipe) will be great to help smoothing your mood as well as detoxification and beauty maintenance.

GIVEAWAYS

Lastly in order for those who are interested to try our Osmanthus Flower. I would be giving away 2 trial packet (4g each) of Osmanthus Flowers to 2 Lucky Readers to try out some of the related recipes that I have shared.

How To Win:-
1. Comment (on this post) which recipe with Osmanthus Flowers that you would like to try.

2. Click LIKE and SHARE the above photo over at Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page (here); AND

Leaving a comment (on facebook) that you have "Like And Share" the above.

Closing Date: 05 February 2013 (Tuesday), 12.00 NOON
*Giveaway is open to ALL READERS of Cuisine Paradise with a valid mailing address.

[Giveaway Result Updated on 05 Feb 2013]

{Mobile Post} Salmon And Edamame Fried Rice

If you notice the title above, I have added a {Mobile Post} tag in front because from this February onwards I would be sharing meal ideas (recipes) with mobile phone photos straight from my kitchen to dinning table. I am sure this would be a great idea for those who wish to try the recipe(s) which I have uploaded the "food photos" on Cuisine Paradise Facebook page and yet without any recipe links.

SALMON AND EDAMAME FRIED RICE

So to start off, here is the first post on my Salmon And Edamame Fried Rice which I make used of the leftover salmon from our early Chinese New Year Dinner gathering (here) together with some diced Bak Kwa (BBQ pork) for new year atmosphere.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Cooked Cold Rice (preferably precooked and keep in the fridge)
• 1/2 Cup Salmon Cubes
• 1/4 Cup Diced Bak Kwa (肉干), optional
• 1/2 Cup Edamame (blanched and removed beans from pods)
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 Stalks Spring Onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced

Seasoning:
1 Teaspoon Of Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon of Fish Sauce, optional
1/4 Teaspoon Of Ground Pepper
Splash of Cooking Wine

Method:-
1. Heat up wok/frying pan on medium heat with cooking oil. Saute minced garlic till fragrance, add in diced bak kwa and continue to fry for another 10 seconds.

2. Add in cooked rice, pressing down using the back of the spatula to separate any clusters of rice. Give it a good toss and push the rice mixture to one side of the wok.

3. Using the other half of the wok, add in 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and cook the salmon cubes till half done. Mix in the rice and give it a good toss.

4. Next slowly swirl in the beaten egg, coat the rice evenly with the egg mixture and fried for another minute before adding in Edamame, spring onion and seasoning.

5. Mix well and it is ready to serve.

Huiji Steamed Pomfret With Osmanthus

Silver Pomfret (Yin Chang - 银鲳鱼) or White Pomfret (白鲳鱼) is one of the seafood choice which is popular among the Teochew (a dialect group). And usually for a Teochew family like us, we love to include preserved salted vegetables, tomato and sour plums in our Steamed Silver Pomfret dish. But since I am re-create this dish for Chinese New Year, I decided to add in some Osmanthus flower which has a distinctive fragrance that enhance the flavour of this dish.

HUIJI STEAMED POMFRET WITH OSMANTHUS

During Chinese New Year, it is a must have for each household to have "Fish" as one of the auspicious dish which symbol "abundance" of good luck and fortune. And when it comes to fish, the best way is to either Steam or Poach whereby using the most least ingredients to draw up the natural flavour and sweetness of the fish.

(Serves: 4-6 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Silver Pomfret, about 400g
• 2 Cup (40ml, using huiji measuring cup) Huiji Waist Tonic
• 1 Stall Spring Onion, cut into sections
• 2 – 3 Slices Ginger, Shredded
• 1 Teaspoon Osmanthus Flower
• 2 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms (optional), sliced
• 1 Teaspoon Shallot Oil, optional

Seasonings:
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

Method:-
1. Clean pomfret to remove any scales or intestines. Rub pomfret evenly with salt and marinate for 5 minutes.

2. Place pomfret on steaming plate that consists half portion of shredded ginger and spring onion.

3. Arrange remainder ginger, spring onion and mushroom on the fish before scatter the osmanthus flower on it.

4. Steam pomfret over high heat for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from heat, garnish with shallot oil and drizzle a cup (20ml) of Huiji Waist Tonic on the fish and serve immediately.

With my bottle of Huiji Waist Tonic that acts as a great helper in the kitchen, it definitely helps to boost up our health as well as enhance the flavour of the dish. For your information, Huiji Waist Tonic is now made in "Singapore" with a richer taste that filled with more goodness. And for Lunar New Year, you can pamper your loved one with either their festive gift sets such as Gifts of Thought (S$53.00), Gifts Of Warmth (S$93.00, shown above) or Huiji Waist Tonic and Fruity Lite Bundle Pack (S$42.80) which helps to bring them health and beauty.

Lastly I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.

{5 New Recipes} Pre Chinese New Year Dinner Gathering

Last Saturday evening, a few of us get together to have an early Chinese New Year dinner over at my place. Although this was not the first time I prepared food for such as big group of friends other than my family,  I am still very nervous and a bit stress up with planning the dishes as well as preparations.

Thanks to Jacob and Shiting who initiate to help up with the Yusheng as well as preparing the ingredients for the dishes in order to put this dinner together. I hope everyone enjoys the meal and I apologize if the dishes are not up to expectations due to my clumsy hands and mind in the kitchen :)

Steamed Coffee Cake

This is my first time attempting Chinese New Year steamed cake as compared to my usual new cookies and dishes. But since I wanted sometime fusion rather than the traditional Steamed Prosperity Cakes (Fa Gao - 发糕), I decided to use a sponge cake recipe and give it a twit by adding instant coffee powder and brown sugar to achieve a similar colour like Fa Gao.

On top of that, I also decorate it with some auspicious New Year wordings like 发财(Fa Cai), 福(Fu), 大吉(Da Ji) and etc by pipping outlines of the Chinese characters on it.

STEAMED COFFEE CAKE
(using Gold Kili Instant Double Shot White Coffee)

With some Gold Kili Instant Double Shot White Coffee Powder that I found in my pantry, I decide to add it into my sponge cake mixture to create our all-time favourite steamed coffee cake. The texture of these steamed cakes are very soft and fine which resemble those Japanese Steamed Cakes which are available in four leaves or some Japanese bakery.

(Make: 8  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 12 - 14 minutes each batch)

Ingredients:

• 2 Sachets Gold Kili Instant Double Shot White Coffee
• 100g All Purpose Plain Flour
• 1.5 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 100g Caster / Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs (55g each)
• 70ml Milk
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ovalette /Sponge Gel

Method:-
1. Add all the ingredients into the mixing bowl and whisk using an electric beater on medium speed (speed 3) for about 6 minutes till mixture form ribbon trace when beater is lifted up from the batter.

2. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the batter and coloured it with some red food gel till well mixed, spoon it into a piping bag and set aside.

3. Next spoon the coffee batter into another piping bag and fill each cupcake liner till 3/4 full.

4. Cut a small opening at the end of the red batter piping bag, make sure the opening is not too big or else the wording will be too thick.

5. Pipe some auspicious Chinese words on the prepared plain batter then arrange the cups in a steamer and steamed on medium high heat for 12 – 14 minutes depending on the size and heat.

Overall these cake are light in texture which filled with distinctive coffee flavour that make it a great snacks for the visiting guests during Chinese New Year. Imagine having this auspicious cake and wishing each other a prosperous new year with some "Lotus Seeds, Longan And Persimmon Sweet Soup".

Lastly I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.

Cooking With Shiokoji

Not long ago, I come across a new seasoning from Japan known as Shiokoji (塩麹 - salted malt rice) which was given to me by another food blogger friend. For short, Shiokoji is a traditional condiment made from fermented malted rice, salt and water. And if you happen to find Shiokoji in Singapore or during your trip to Japan, do grab hold of some and you would be amazed on the dishes it could produce.

GRILL SALMON WITH SHIOKOJI

Although the above grilled salmon requires only Shiokoji as the main seasoning but the end product surprisingly brings out the flavour of the salmon with hint of fragrance and savory taste. This happens because Shio-koji imparts a rich savory flavor that makes any dish delicious and it acts as a great seasoning on fish or meat too.

(Serves: 1 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 6 - 8 minutes)

Ingredients:
150 - 180g of Salmon Fillet
2 Teaspoons of Shiokoji

Method:-
1. Marinate salmon fillet with Shiokoji for about 5 - 10 minutes.

2. Drizzle some olive oil on griddle pan, grill salmon fillet with skin side down for about 4 minutes (depending on the thickness) on each side over medium heat till slightly golden brown in colour.

Tip:
~ As Shiokoji tends to burn easily, remember to lower the heat during cooking to prevent it from getting burnt.

Sometime we love simple meal like the above and it would be great too if you just want to narrow down the menu to only Onigiri (rice ball) plus one main dish. But if you have time, you could always add on another simple side like hard-boiled egg or boiled Edamame.

STIR-FRY MACKEREL WITH SHIOKOJI AND FRENCH BEAN

Simple Stir-fry Mackerel with Shiokoji and French Bean

(Serves: 2   | Preparation: 10 minutes |  Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
200g of Mackerel Fillet, Sliced
3 Teaspoons Of Shiokoji
150g French Bean, trimmed
Some Carrot, Sliced

Method:-
1. Marinate mackerel with shiokoji for at least 5 minutes or not more than 30 minutes.

2. Preheat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, pan-fry the marinated mackerel for 2 minutes on each side or till slightly golden brown in colour. Remove and set aside.

3. Next add in another teaspoon of oil, stir-fry the carrot and french bean till french bean change to darker green colour, toss in mackerel fillet and give it a quick stir till well-combined.

4. Remove on serving plate and serve with steamed white rice.

Other than the two fish dishes above, I also used Shiokoji to marinate chicken fillet which taste great as a simple dish on itself. And just for your information, the portion of Shiokoji to any meat ingredient weight is 1:10 which means for each 100g of meat, use 10g(1.5 teaspoons) of Shiokoji. But then it is still up to individual to adjust the amount of Shiokoji used according to their taste preference.

Chawanmushi is one of our favourite egg dish and nothing would go wrong when you follow Nami's (Just One Cook Book) quick and easy  Japanese recipes on her site. Here I followed one of her savory Chawanmushi recipe which includes step-by-step illustrations that helps to make this delicious Japanese Steamed Egg Custard. So do check up Nami's website for more recipe ideas too!

Grilled Salmon With Orange Marmalade

Chinese New Year (CNY) is less than a month away and I am sure everyone is busying with spring cleaning, planning New Year reunion dinner, gatherings as well as what to cook for the visiting guests and etc. Over the years, I have some collection of Chinese New Year recipes on dishes, desserts and bakes which you might be interested to take a look and hopefully it would help to spark up some inspirations for your CNY menu.

GRILLED SALMON WITH ORANGE MARMALADE
(using Frezfruta Orange Marmalade)

To shorten the cooking process of the usual CNY dishes like Braised Mushroom With Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw Soup, Braised Soy Duck, Chicken Curry and etc. Here I have a quick and healthy Grilled Salmon with Orange Marmalade that served with steamed vegetables which I think it would be great idea to add  into your New Year Menu.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 - 15 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 2 Pieces of Salmon Fillet (200g each)
• 3 Tablespoons Frezfruta Orange Marmalade
• 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Cooking Wine
• 1/2 Tablespoon Freshly Grate Ginger
• 2 Clove Garlic, lightly smashed
• Extra 1/4 Cup Frezfruta Orange Marmalade

Sides:
Assorted Steamed Vegetables

Method:-
1. Check and remove all the bone from the salmon fillet using a tweezer.

2. Combine all marinade and marinate the salmon for 5 minutes.

3. Lightly grease a griddle pan, grill the salmon fillet with skin side down first for about 4 - 5 minutes each side over medium heat.

4. To make the marmalade sauce: remove the salmon from the pan, add in ¼ Cup Frezfruta Orange Marmalade to the marinade mixture and simmer till mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat.

5. To serve, top salmon fillets with Orange Marmalade Sauce and steamed vegetables as sides.

I choose salmon because I love the taste and texture when combined with the marinade especially the orange marmalade which helps to boost up it taste. But just remember not to over cooked the salmon or else the meat would be too dry. 

Lastly I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.

Thye Moh Chan Cake House @ Chinatown Point

I love Tau Sar Piah especially those Traditional Salty Tau Sar Piah which is infused with fragrance fried shallot aroma that binds together wtih blend mung bean paste. Since my in-laws are staying in the East side, my mother-in-law used to buy my favourite Tau Sar Piah from Thy Moh Chan Cake House which was previously located at Geylang Lorong 27 until it closed for retirement during September 2011.

But about a year after it closed for business, this well-known traditional tau sar piah was bought over by BreadTalk ground and it was relaunched again in December 2012 with it's main outlet at Chinatown Point and another retail at Parkway Parade's Food Republic.

Traditional Sweet Tau Sar Piah @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

While staying true to original recipes the relaunched Thye Moh Chan also brings in new flavours which is tastefully packaged in contemporary style too. And on our first visit to the new outlet, I decided to grab a box of 8 pieces (S$10.80) with mixture of traditional and new flavour to satisfy my craving on missing their Tau Sar Piah for a year.

Traditional Salty Tau Sar Piah @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

Melon Seed Red Bean @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

Cranberry Tau Sar Piah @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

On top of the all time classic flavour, they also add in new innovative fillings such as Cranberry, Spicy Pork Floss, Salted Egg Yolk, Assorted Nuts and etc. I have tried the Cranberry Tau Sar Piah but for me it don't think the taste blend  well (too sweet) with the traditional fillings but I would still like to try their Yuan Yang which is a pairing of savoury bean paste with spicy pork floss and salted egg.

For me to find and able to eat my favourite Tau Sar Piah again is definitely something good to share but on the other hand because of the take over and relaunched the price of the pastries also increase as compared to those sold in the old outlet.

THYE MOH CHAN - 泰茂栈
133 New Bridge Road
#01-45/46
Chinatown Point
Singapore 059413
Telephone: (65) 6604 8858
Website: thyemohchan.com

Celebrate Luna New Year With Tai Sun Nuts and Goodies

With Chinese Luna New Year getting closer, I believe everyone is busying with a list of  "must buy" ingredients, goodies, tidbits and etc in order to prepare and feed the guests who are coming over for new year house visiting.  This year, thanks to Tai Sun and 20twentypr for the early New Year goodies which definitely come in handy for us due to it's wide selections of snacks for our guests.

The snacks are packed neatly inside this traditional bamboo basket which resemble those olden day (60s) food carrier or sort of like our modern picnic basket. And this unique basket is sure a keeper for me as my kid already hint for a picnic date with it soon on one of the weekend.

Macadamia Delight @ S$11.80 per jar (300g)
Rolled Pineapple Tarts @ S$10.80 per jar (380g)

Inside the bamboo basket, there are two tubs of Chinese New Year cookies from NOYA (under Tai Sun (Lim Kee) Food Industries too) such as Macadamia Delight and Rolled Pineapple Tarts which you can read more about them at my review post on NOYA products HERE.

Apart from the NOYA Chinese New Year cookies, there are also Roasted Cashew Nuts and Hei Bee Hiam Spring Rolls which are two of the popular snacks among guests.

On top of that, there are also some varieties of broad beans (satay and wasabi flavour) which are a great source of dietary fibre that helps to promote a healthy digestive system. For your information:- 100g of broad beans give you more fibre than eating 4 apples or 10 carrots.

Other than broad beans, Tai Sun also have other nuts products like roasted peanuts, cashew, almond and etc for your to select too. 

But if you are looking for something more towards nature flavour, perhaps Nature's Wonders which has a premium range of nuts and dried fruits might suits your preference. Their products comes with good source of dietary fibre as well as rich in protein. Furthermore Nature's Wonders products are naturally trans fat free with no added salt which makes it a healthy and high energy snack that helps you on the go!

So for this coming Chinese New Year if you are looking for some nuts or snacks to stock up for your guests perhaps you could take look at Tai Sun, NOYA or Nature's Wonders range in leading supermarkets too.