Yam Paste With Pumpkin & Ginkgo Nuts

Or Nee(Yam Paste With Gingko Nuts) is a must dessert for Teochew People during the Chinese New Year. So this year I decided to make some of this to share with my friends who came over for New Year gathering.


I cook and mashed the yam then stir-fry it with oil and top with Mashed Pumpkin, grated water chestnut, sugar ginkgo nuts and drizzle with some coconut cream.

Ingredients:
500g Skinned Yam, cubed
50-60g Caster Sugar
30ml Vegetable/Fried Shallot Oil

Methods:
1. Steam yam for 30 minutes or until soften before mashing.
2. Heat oil in a wok, then add mashed yam and sugar.
3. Stir well and cook over low heat until not sticky.

Topping:
20-25 Vacuum Pack Gingko Nuts
1 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
2 Water Chestnuts, grated
100g - 150g Skinned Pumpkin, cubes
1 1/2 Tablespoons Coconut Cream

Methods:
1. Wash and pat dry the gingko nuts then marinate it with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar for about 10 minutes.
2. Steam the pumpkin cubes over medium heat for about 15 - 20 minutes until soft then mash it using a fork and set aside.
3. Scoop cooked yam paste into a bowl or plate with depth then arrange the sugar gingko nut around it and place the mashed pumpkin in the middle and top with grated water chestnut.
4. Steam it for 15 minutes then drizzle the coconut cream on top and steam for another 5 minutes on medium heat.
5. Serve either hot or warm.

Notes:
a) If you prefer sweet taste then add more sugar or else you can reduce the sugar amount.
b) You can either used those vacuum pack gingko nuts found in leading supermarket or you can used those dried type one.
c) You can omit the pumpkin and water chestnut if you don't prefer them.

Ikan Bilis Yong Dao Fu

Have you ever tried the "Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu( 秀记江鱼仔酿豆腐)" which located at #02-220/1 Chinatown Complex, Blk 335 Smith Street? The food is served in two bowls , one bowl containing six pieces of niang tou fu consisting 3 pcs of fishball , 1 pc tou fu , 1 pc tow pok and a mini ngoh hiang , all freshly steamed at the stall daily except for the ngoh hiang (fried ) in a ikan billis based soup . The other bowl will be your choice of noodle , kway-teow or bee hoon served dry with deep fried ikan billis topping with minimal oil . The chilli is grinded in heavy garlic served in a dish . All these for a mere S$ 2.00 . Give it a TRY .

Pitted Cherries Cheese Slice

Since some of my relatives and Mum's friends love to eat cheesecake. I decided to make this Pitted Cherries Cheese Slice for New Year Dessert.


It pretty easy to make as it only required stir and double-boil to melted the ingredients the pour over the base and keep in the fridge for a few hours. For the top layer, I used some Grand Mariner to replace Kirsch Liqueur because I don't have that at home.

Ingredients For Crust:
150g Chocolate Oreo Cookies, crushed
120g Butter, melted
30g Walnuts, toasted and chopped

Methods:
1. Combine all ingredients and press into a 8" loose base square baking tin and chill in the fridge for until firm.(about 20 minutes)

Ingredients For Filling:
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Soften
140g Sugar
150g Sour Cream
200ml Non Dairy Whipped Cream
4 Tablespoons Full Cream Fresh Milk
2 Tablespoons Gelatine Powder
2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/2 - 3/4 Canned Dark Pitted Cherries

Methods:
1. Double boil and whisk the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and whipped cream together until smooth.(you will see some tiny lumpy cheese in the mixture but it will not affect the texture)
2. Dilute the full cream milk and gelatine powder into a double boiler until it gelatine dissolved.
3. Add diluted gelatine into the cheese mixture then follow by lemon juice and stir well.
4. Remove the chocolate base and arrange the dark pitted cherries onto the crust.
5. Slowly pour over cheese mixture and chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.

Ingredients For Top Layer:
150ml Syrup From Dark Pitted Cherries
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Gelatine Powder
160ml Water
1/2 Tablespoon of Grand Mariner

Methods:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook(except the liquor) with low heat until gelatine has dissolved.
2. Leave to cool, add in the Grand Mariner, mix well then spoon mixture onto the chilled cake.
3. Put back into the fridge for another 3 hours or over night.

Notes:
a) Removed the cream from the Oreo Cookies before crushing it.
b) You can used a 8" square mousse tin and wrap the base with aluminium foil and place it on a cake board.

Steam Cod Fish & Double Boil Frog Soup

This is another way of eating cod fish which can enhance it's origin favour as well as giving supplement to the body. Because of the grated ginger to expel wind, black fungi to increase the fluidity of the blood and improving circulation while rice wine kept the body warm.


Ingredients:
1 Piece Of Cod Fish(250g - 300g),雪鱼
5g Black Fungi(云耳), soaked till soft
1/2 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子), rinse
1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger
3 Tablespoons Glutinous Rice Wine(黄酒,糯米酒)
1/2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce

Methods:
1. Saute the ginger over a low heat with 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil in a preheated pan until golden browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Washed and trim the soften black fungi and set aside.
3. Rinse the fish and pat-fry, season with glutinous rice wine and soy sauce then arrange on a heatproof plate.
4. Arrange the black fungi and gou qi on the side of the fish, top with pre-fried ginger and drizzle some ginger sesame oil on the fish.
5. Steam over high heat for 10 - 15 minutes until cooked through depend on the thickness of the fish.
6. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

This soup was abit uncommon, as we usually eat Frog that is Stir-fry with spring onion and ginger(姜葱田鸡), Stir-fry Frog in Gong Bao Sauce(宫保田鸡) or Frog Porridge(田鸡粥). So this Double boil frog with herbs is a rather new combination that using pork ribs or chicken.

Ingredients:
2 - 3 Whole Frog(田鸡)
50g Black Beans(黑豆)
6 - 8 Red Dates(红枣)
4 Slices Of Dang Gui(当归)
1/2 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子)
5g Dried Longan(龙眼干)
800ml - 900ml Boiling Water

Methods:
1. Soak the black beans into water for at least 2 hour, remove and drained then set aside.
2. Rinse the frogs and blanch into boiling water for a while, remove and place into a double boiler, add in black beans and the rest of the ingredients(remember to rinse the herbs before using).
3. Pour in boiling water, covered and double-boiled over a low heat for about 2 hours.
4. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Notes:
a) This soup is abit sweet due to the Dried Longan, so if you don't prefer it to be sweet omit the adding the dried longan.
b) If you don't have a double boiler, you can put all the ingredients into a pot and place it in the slower cooker to double-boil over slow/auto heat for about 3 - 4 hours.