Gum Tragacanth Dessert 雪燕糖水

Recipe for 1 pax:

Ingredients:
1 pc 雪燕 abt 4g (soak overnight or minimum for 6 hours)
1 small pc of honey rock sugar
2 red dates (cut it and remove the pit)
200ml water/fresh milk/almond milk

Method:
1. After soaking the 雪燕, remove the impurities. (which is a lot lot lot easier than peach gum)
2. Place the 雪燕, sugar, red dates into a small bowl.
3. Pour in any liquid as mentioned. (I prefer fresh milk.)
4. Cover the bowl and steam it for 20 mins.

Note: I added 2 slices of American Ginseng when I steam it with water.

I bought it from Long Ma Dried Goods at Albert Centre Wholesale Market (3rd floor)
270 Queen Street
Singapore 180270
Opening hours: 8.00am to 8.30pm daily  ,
but it can also be found here.

Braised Pork 卤肉饭

Ingredients:
400g minced pork (I asked the butcher to mince the part that has some fats, but not a lot)
(You can use pork belly if you prefer the fats, dun need to mince it, just cut into strips.)
5 dried shitake mushroom (soaked till soft)
1 - 2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 pc honey rock sugar
1 tsp five spices powder
2 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
Few cloves of garlic (mince)
200ml chicken stock
400ml water
3 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Squeeze the water out from the mushrooms and dice them.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, and add the garlic. Fry them until golden brown and pour them on a strainer. Pour the oil back. Keep the garlic aside.
3. Fry the mushroom until fragrant.
4. Add the pork and continue to stirfry.
5. Add 1 tbsp dark soya sauce. O if you prefer, 2 tbsp.
6. Add the garlic, five spices powder, chicken stock, water, sugar, , cinnamon stick, and star anise, and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and lower the fire to simmer them for at least 45 mins.

The eggs:
1. Boil a pot of water, add some salt in it.
2. Add room temperature eggs and continue boiling for 5 mins.
3. Take the eggs out and submerged them in a pot of ice water for 5 - 10 mins.
4. Peel the eggs,
5. Scoop the sauce from the braised pork into a bowl and place the eggs in it for at least 15 mins. Longer if you prefer a darker brown.

Note: Instead of pork, it can be minced chicken too.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
250g Macaroni (elbow pasta)
6 tbsp Butter
30g Panko breadcrumbs
50g plain flour (all purpose flour)
3 cups warm milk
300g shredded cheese
20g parmesan
Salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a pot of boiling water, add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp oil, and the pasta and bring to boil to cook until almost al dente, drain and mix the cooked pasta with 1 tbsp butter, and set aside.
3. Heat up a pan and melt 4 tbsp butter, add flour and mix well.
4. Add the milk to the pan (add it in 3 parts), 1/2 tsp salt, and mix well with the paste. (Takes abt 5 mins)
5. Off the fire, and add the cheese. Mix well.
6. Mix the breadcrumbs with 1 tbsp melted butter.
6. Pour the sauce into a baking dish with the pasta. Sprinkle panko and parmesan over it.
7. Bake for 20 mins.

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:
200g spaghetti
1 onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
200g sliced mushroom
200 g ground beef - marinated with salt, pepper, & 1 tsp Italian seasoning
(Or any meat of your choice)
1/2 bottle Pasta sauce (250g)
200g shredded mozzarella
40g shredded Parmesan

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a baking dish.
2. In a pot of boiling water, add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp oil, and the spaghetti and bring to boil to cook until almost al dente, drain and set aside. (My took abt 7 mins.)
3. Heat up a pan and add 2 tbsp cooking oil. Stirfry garlic and onions for about 2 mins. Add ground beef and stirfry it till cooked. Then add mushroom and stirfry for a min.
4. Pour in the pasta sauce and simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. 
5. Add the spaghetti and half the cheese, mix well then transfer to baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 mins until cheese is melted.
6. Garnish with parsley.

This recipe is good for 4 pax.

Dumplings 锅贴

Ingredients:
$6 minced pork (dunno which part. I ask butcher choose not too fatty one)
10 to 12 prawns. Clean & cut into small pcs.
3 - 4 pcs of cabbage. Wash & chop into very small pcs.
Mix all the above & add 2 tbsp soya sauce & 1 tsp sesame oil & pinch of salt & pepper.

Round white dumpling skin - bought from supermarket.

How to wrap?
1. Put the marinated meat in the middle of the skin.
2. Mix some water & corn flour. Run them along the sides of skin.
3. Fold the skin half and pressed the middle part so both sides of skin touched. From left fold in 3 sides. From right fold in 3 sides.
4. Put in a box and freeze all the dumplings.

Method:
1. Heat the pan (medium-fire) and pour 1 tbsp oil on it.
2. Place the frozen dumplings. 
3. After a minute or so, add abt 3 tbsp of water and cover the pan with a lid.
4. Let it cook with low-medium fire for at least 4 to 6 mins. This process is like steaming.
5. Open the lid when the liquid left 10-15%. Let it continue until liquid all dry up. 

Pandan Lemongrass Drink

Ingredients:
5 stalks lemongrass
1 bunch pandan leaves
1 knob ginger (remove skin)
2 litres water
Sugar (up to your preference) - I usually use Honey Rock Sugar

Method:
1. Wash the lemongrass, chop off the top and bottom part and remove the outer layer. I cut each stalk into 3 parts.
2. Wash the pandan leaves and ginger.
3. Use a pestle to pound the lemongrass and ginger.
4. Boil the water with lemongrass and ginger for about 20 - 30 minutes.
5. Add sugar & pandan leaves and boil for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy!