Tuesday 30 October 2012

Homemade Chicken Satay 鸡肉沙爹 Sate Ayam with Peanut Sauce 沙嗲醬

A friend's birthday and I told them I'm gonna get some satay and clams.. Kind of potluck celebration among 4 girls. Then suddenly I thought of making it. With Thermomix, I am so much more adventurous with food. Even the normally impossible food to make, I'll go for it. Most of the time, it turns out real good!

Here's the recipe:

Marinade sauce:
4 stalks lemongrass
2 shallots OR 1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1-2 fresh red chilies 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger
1 tsp fresh turmeric OR 1/2 tsp dried turmeric
2 Tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin
3 Tbsp dark soy sauce
4 Tbsp fish sauce
5-6 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil


Method:
1) Put all marinade ingredients into TM bowl, blend up at 1min-2mins/ Spd 7-10 (Pause at Spd 7 for at least 3-5secs before gradually speed up to Spd 10) - you can open up the lid and scrap down and repeat the same in between to properly blend up everything.
*you can taste test your sauce and add sugar if too salty or fish sauce if too sweet and vice versa. Or if you want it spicier, can alway add more chili & so on.. you know your own acquired taste best. Feel free to have fun with food. You too can be a great chef and do share out the recipes with me next :)

Meat skewers ingredient:
8-12 skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips *I cut into big diced cubes
1 package wooden skewers (soaked in water while preparing the meat, to prevent burning)

Method:
2) Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, or longer (up to 24 hours).
When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers. Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.
Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. OR you can broil in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked (be sure to soak your wooden satay sticks in water before skewering). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.
* I didn't even turn the satay while baking, perhaps, mine is the mini sized satay and it cooked well.

While waiting for the meat to marinate, you can prepare your peanut sauce.
Peanut Sauce 沙嗲ingredients:

2 tsp peanut oil
4 shallots
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger root
2 small red chile peppers, seeded
150g chopped peanut (grind toasted skinless peanut at 10secs / Spd 6)
400g coconut milk
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp lime juice


Method:
3) While chicken is marinating, add shallots, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers into TM bowl. Chopped at 6-10secs/ Spd 5. Add oil and fragrant at 5mins/ V/ Spd spoon.
4) Add in chopped peanut, coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and cook 10mins/ 100'C/ Spd 2 then remove from heat and keep warm. *you can add in more chopped peanut on top before serve.


Enjoy your homemade satay, great for parties.

Monday 29 October 2012

Mi Hun Ke / Pan Mee 面粉糕 / 板面

Ingredients: (you can always add more quantity, but remember, TM bowl maximum capacity is 750g including all liquid and other content) - I know I did 1kg before.. luckily not broken down.

240g Water (if added egg/s, then reduce the water content.. i.e. say 2 eggs about 110g, then use only 130g water)
30g Cooking oil (olive oil is good)
2tsp Salt
500g Plain flour
1TBs Corn starch

Method:
1) Mix the content 10secs/ Spd 4
2) Knead dough at 4mins/ Spd Knead
3) Set aside the dough for at least 30mins before use. (I normally keep in fridge in a covered container)





Wednesday 5 September 2012

With Thermomix, Cooking Should Be Fun ^_^


MANY people work long hours and often come back tired and lack the desire to get the wok in their kitchen going.

“Cooking should be fun,” says True Mix Sdn Bhd executive director Lim Juan Hoong. “But most of us think it’s difficult.” It’s true, most of us frown at the thought of chopping garlic, peeling potatoes and monitoring a simmering pot. How about making bread and cakes? Not a chance. But what if you are able to make piping hot meals for yourself (and your family) and yummy desserts without the hassle, mess and culinary skills? Is it possible, you ask?
With the Thermomix, it is possible. Also known as the “Super Kitchen Machine”, Thermomix has been making waves in Malaysian homes since its introduction two years ago. A product of German company Vorwerk International, the company was established in 1883 and has over 130 years of successful history operating in more than 60 countries. Thermomix was developed by 120 engineers and technical experts and has 23 world patents. Worldwide, it has 25,000 recipes tested.

Thermonix


Multi Function
Thermomix is a compact and versatile kitchen appliance that takes on the functions of more than 10 different kitchen appliances, saving you money and space on your kitchen top. It can weigh, cut, chop, mix, mince, pulverise, grate, grind, mill, beat, blend, whip, whisk, knead, emulsify, cook, steam, simmer and stir-fry. It is the ultimate kitchen machine that every modern kitchen should have.
You can use Thermomix to:
  • Make nutritious fruit juices
  • Stir-fry and saute vegetables
  • Knead dough to make bread, pizza, pasta, ravioli, pan mee, fish balls, steamed buns
  • Mince meat (separating fats from lean meat easily)
  • Pulverise coffee beans, rock sugar, chinese herbs to powder and solid ice to fine shaved ice, all in seconds!
  • Steam dumplings, tofu, vegetables, chicken, otak-otak and fish
  • Make ice cream and sorbet

Energy Efficiency
Thermomix is one of the most energy-efficient appliance around and has a maximum power consumption of 1,500W (without heating, is only 500W). Its mixing bowl is made of surgical stainless steel while blades are made of Solingen steel. Both fixtures come with an integrated heating system and temperature sensors.
“You can be a cook with zero experience and still produce tasty and healthy meals,” says Lim. “With  Thermomix, it is all about time, temperature and speed. Follow the recipe if you are a beginner. For seasoned cooks, let the magic begins.”
Thermomix comes with a scale that allows precise measurement as well as specific temperatures that are crucial to producing good food. The beauty of precise temperature is that food will always be consistent. You will have no burnt food at the bottom (common with wok cooking) as the machine works intelligently to prevent this and no nasty accidents from spills.
In a product demonstration, Lim showed how Thermomix was able to pulverise rock sugar in three seconds. In another two seconds, 2 lemons (quartered with skin on) was blended along with water and the pulverised sugar to produce lemonade. This smart Thermomix then separated the flesh and squeezed the juice out of it without the bitter taste of the skin or seeds. Simply amazing! From a fruit juicer, Lim then showed how Thermomix was able to make dough for mantao (steamed bun).
Flour, yeast and water were added into the Thermomix mixing bowl, easily with built in scale and in short 2 minutes, the super machine went on to knead a fluffy dough. “The traditional way to knead dough takes some 40 minutes, but with Thermomix, you only require two to three minutes. The best thing is that there is no mess. Your kitchen top remains clean.” When the dough was ready, it was steamed using the Thermomix too. The mantao was light and absolutely delicious.


Piping Hot Meals
Perhaps, the most important function for most Malaysians is the machine’s ability to make hot meals for the family. Busy people dislike long preparation time and this is where Thermomix fits in.
Lim again showed how effortless cooking can be. First, garlic was skinned and grounded using the Thermomix, enabling your hands to remain clean and odour-free. This process took six seconds. Then broccoli, carrots and cauliflowers were poured into the Thermomix.
“We are the only machine to be able to move at slow speed. Most machines can go at high speeds which Thermomix is most capable of but when it comes to slow speed for stir-frying, Thermomix excel it. “lt also has a ‘reverse’ function which reverses the direction of its blade, giving you stir-fried food that is intact. Normal blenders cannot do this because it cannot reverse its blade direction, and ends up grinding your food.”
In less than seven minutes, the vegetables were ready. Mixed vegetables never looked so good. Their colours were vibrant, the broccoli was a splendid green and the carrots were a bright orange. “This is because the consistent temperature makes the food so well-cooked. If you fry in a wok, you neither have consistent or the right temperature that is essential for healthy food.”
What are vegetables without some fish and rice? Again, Lim demonstrated how rice could be prepared in 20 minutes (normally only 15 minutes for white rice if not for steaming fish) on the same machine. On top of that, he steamed a fish at the same time by placing a plate on top.


Quick and Easy
Over the weekends, should you want to treat yourself, make yourself some sorbet. While a sorbet may sound complicated, Thermomix makes it easy, even for a child.
Simply put in sugar, some sour plum and your fruit of choice. Let Thermomix works its magic and in 30 seconds, a sorbet fit to serve in a restaurant! Magnificent! With Thermomix, you can now cook/make any food you always thought were too time-consuming and difficult. Make your own kaya, strawberry jam, sauces and chowders. Thousands of recipes readily available. From zero to hero and be the best cook star :)

Best of all, you know you are definitely providing good food that is healthy without any preservatives for yourselves and families. Eating healthy food keeps the body energetic and stronger. Thermomix is a highly useful kitchen tool for every family. When you buy the product, you will get a comprehensive recipe book that covers a wide variety of meals. You can also attend cooking classes organised by the company. The product comes with a two-year warranty. For enquiries, call 014-7327 127 or log on to thermomixMY Facebook

source: http://www.kidbuxblog.com

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Chicken Rendang

Chicken Rendang

You can cook with either beef, mutton or pork too. Your choice



Ingredients

Chilli Paste:
A)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp fennel seed

B)
8 cloves garlic
5 stalks lemon grass
6 candle nuts (buah keras)  
15 shallots
15 pcs dried chillies
25g ginger
25g galangal (blue ginger)
25g tumeric or 5g tumeric powder

100g oil
1 tsp salt
 
*Easier to cook 3 times the chilli paste and use only 1 portion and freeze up the rest for future use.


Ingredients (for Chicken):

800g chicken cut at bite size
250g coconut milk
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 bowl fried coconut (200g fresh grated coconut – fry in pan without oil until brown)
*optional 5 kaffir lime leaves

Method: 


1)  Roast cumin seeds and fennel seeds 3mins30secs/ V/ Spd 1
2)  Grind dry chillies, lemon grass, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, candle nuts and turmeric (in between, stop 2 or 3 times to scrape down for more even grinding) 2mins/ Spd 10
3)  Add 100g oil and 1 tsp salt to cook paste (put simmering basket on top of lid instead of MC to prevent splash) Cook for 25~30mins / V/ Spd 1
4)  Add chicken, coconut milk, 3 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp salt (continue to have simmering basket on top of lid) Cook another 50mins/ V (dry) or 100'C (gravy), Spd Spoon*Reverse
*Add fried coconut in last 10 mins
*optional, you can add in about 5 kaffir lime leaves at the last remaining 3mins

Friday 15 June 2012

Vegetarian Curry Bun

Vegetarian Curry Bun


Curry Paste:
12 dried chilli (soaked with hot water)
12 shallots
5 buah keras
2 stalks lemongrass
1 garlic
10g belacan
5g tumeric
100g cooking oil



Method:
1) Put all curry paste ingredient in TM bowl, 20secs/Sp 10




2) Scrap down the paste from the lid and side of bowl.



3) Cook at 20mins/V/Sp 1




4) Scooped half of the curry paste out


While waiting the curry paste to be ready, prepared the vegetarian filling



Filling:
6 pieces of potatoes (cubed) - boiled at 10mins with 1tsp of salt (about 2-3 cups of water)

1/2 big carrot
2 red onions






Method:
1) Add carrot and onions in TM bowl, turbo twice at 1sec each then 10secs/Sp 4
2) Scrap down from lid and side of bowl.
3) Cook at 10mins/V/Sp spoon
4) At remaining 5mins add drained cooked potatoes and salt, soy sauce, dark soy sauce to taste

Filling is done.

For bun: (Sponge dough method) - thanks kimmy-cookingpleasure for your recipe, really easy to follow... errr... I didn't use the recipe below as I didn't add egg. Forgotten which one of her sponge dough method already... But this should be good I guess

Step 1 - Ingredients:

2 tsp instant yeast
160ml  water
230g bread flour

Method:
Mix yeast with water in TM bowl, 30secs/37°C/Sp 3 then add in flour.  Knead to form a smooth dough at 2mins/knead
Leave to proof  for 1-1 1/2 hours or double in size. (I only waited 1 hour)



Step 2 - Ingredients:
60g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
1 small egg
25g water
100g bread flour
30g butter







Method:
Add all Step 2 ingredients  [except butter] to dough from Step 1.  Knead 30secs/Sp 4 to combine.  Continue to knead at 2mins/Knead until dough is soft and smooth.  Add in butter, continue to knead until dough is soft and elastic or window pane stage at 2mins/Knead.
Shape dough into a ball.  Cover and leave to proof for 15 minutes.
Punch down and divide into 60gm per portion or  into any portions required. (I made it to 14 portions)
Shape dough into any shapes with fillings.  Leave to rise for 30-45 minutes or until double in size.  (didn't wait though, lazy me, will wait next time round)
Brush with egg/milk glaze.
Baked in preheated oven at 190 degrees for 12-15 minutes.



My niece insisted to help :)

Didn't use any of those molds though.. use only for one last one with the 'heart' shape as requested, without filling.


Uh oh... unsure if it's because I didn't wait up for another 30-40mins for it to rise or was it that we rolled the dough too thin..

It's still yummy though. My youngest nephew came home from nursery and had 2 before dinner and kept thanking me. Meanwhile my brother told me I can start open shop already :)





Will definitely try again. I've only used half the fillings. Need to make double dough to use up all the filling.

Monday 4 June 2012

Red Bean Paste

Red Bean Paste

Ingredients:
300g Red Bean (soaked for 8 hours) - I didn't and cooked longer :P
150g Sugar
650g Water
40g Oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but kind of quite strong taste of it)

Method:

1) Cook Red Bean and Water for 30mins (I added 15mins as I didn't pre-soak the beans)/ 100°C/ Spd 2.
Add sugar at remaining of 5mins.


2) Leave for 1 hour (again, I didn't wait :P)

3) Add oil and cook for another 30mins / 100°C/ Spd 2.

4) After cooking, I pulverised it (Spd 8) and cook for another 2mins, adding about a pinch or lesser of salt, as I think it as quite sweet


See first picture. It looks as though we have cleaned up the TM bowl, but with a quick spin to Spd 7-10 for 2secs, you can see on 2nd picture that there is still some paste stuck underneath the blade. I repeated twice. All clean, less wastage :)


Red Bean Paste done! Easy easy job, no tired arms busy stirring over super hot wok and risk of burning the paste. I guess the olden days, they don't add salt into the paste as they'll probably added it naturally... their sweat! Sorry for that kind of imagination.. Yewwww...

With Thermomix, less worries :)

Saturday 2 June 2012

Char Kuey Teow (炒粿條/Penang Fried Flat Noodles)


Thermomix Char Kuey Teow (炒粿條/ Penang Fried Flat Noodles/ Kway Tiow Goreng)

Feel like having Char Kuey Teow today....

Went Tesco to get ingredients for Curry Kapitan and couldn't help it seeing bean sprouts and thought of Char Kuey Teow, so got myself a packet of Kuey Teow too.

I've cooked at least thrice before with my Thermomix but this time I did not refer to any recipe and worse, I do not have any shrimps in freezer! Oh well, I just give it a go with whatever I have, it turned out not bad :)

Tried to trace back, I got this from Rasa Malaysia's recipe, thanks Bee  :)
Ingredients: (recipe for 2-3 persons)
Chili Paste:~30 pieces deseeded dried red chilies (soak in water)2 fresh red chilies (deseeded)3 small shallots (peeled and sliced)15g oilA pinch of salt
Sauce (mix and blend well):3 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon dark soy sauce1 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon sugar1/2 teaspoon fish sauceScant 1/2 teaspoon salt2 dashes white pepper powder
Other Ingredients:3 cloves garlic10g cooking oil12 deshelled prawns (submerge in ice cold water plus 2 tablespoons sugar for 30minutes)2 Chinese sausages (sliced diagonally - optional) A bunch of fresh bean sprouts (rinsed with cold water and drained)
500-600g (1 packet) fresh flat rice noodles (soaked & loosen *assure no clumps) 500g bloody cockles (extract the cockles by opening its shell)A bunch of Chinese chives (removed about 1-inch of the bottom section and cut into 2-inch lengths)


*Tips: please make sure your kuey teow is for frying not for soup (there are two types, the soup type is really soft ones and that can cause disaster.. i.e. your CKT will ended up like a starchy kueh.

Method:
1) Put in all Chili Paste ingredients into TM bowl and set 10secs/ Speed 7-10, scrapped down and set time 10mins/ Speed *spoon*
2) Dish out 3/4 of the cooked Chili Paste (if kids can't have it spicy, then clean out all).
3) Add in 3 cloves of garlic (skin off), 6secs/ Spd 5. Add another 10 g of cooking oil, 2mins/ V/ Spd *spoon*

4) Add prawns and sausages, 3mins/ V/ Rev spoon, add in bean sprouts at remaining 2mins


5) While waiting, mix sauce evenly to flat noodle
6) Add in noodles with sauce into bowl after beep, set 5mins/ V/ Rev spoon, (if using cockles, add in at remaining 2mins) add in chives at the remaining 1min


 

Here's mine without any meat.. vege version, still taste good :)

Saturday 28 April 2012

Cooking Rice / 煮饭


Cooking Rice / 煮饭

Cooking rice with TM31 is faster, healthier and easier too.

1st, you can do the washing in the simmering basket itself. I'll normally do 3 washes and drained. Put it into TM bowl, add in water just enough to cover the rice as you can see in picture.

For rice cooking, Thermomix can cook up till 3 cups of rice.




Turn on the regular T'T'S (Time, Temperature and Speed)
15mins (30mins for brown rice)/ 100°C (or V if doing combined cooking, i.e. steaming on Varoma) / Speed 3.5



Why is it healthy you might ask. This way of cooking, most of the starch/ glucose is drained out hence it is healthier, less fattening and good for diabetic people to eat with peace of mind.

Not only it's better choice for diabetic people.. The fact that it was a big health news about arsenic in rice is much to worry on. See latest news here: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319948.htm

"Published studies and ongoing FDA research indicate that cooking rice in excess volumes of water, five to six times that of the rice, and draining the excess water, can reduce up to roughly half of the arsenic content" - as written in the last paragraph of the site.

More about arsenic in rice and other food. I have shared this too many times, at times I couldn't even find the posts back.. Shall keep the link here: https://www.facebook.com/thermomixMY/posts/389455511145963


I will normally pour into a bowl, get it cooled then water my plants. See here for reference.

I heard that this remaining of rice water (米水/ 粥水), is very good for young children but of course not for us adults who is having too much carbo intake. The healthy way to eat is to go low on carbo and high on fats. I am still reading up on this part of LCHF diet. There were some articles mentioned that one should not be too worrying about high cholesterol level and skipping fats especially butter is not helping. Butter is a better choice compared to margarine. See picture below, even ants are smarter. What are we waiting for? (source from : Changing Habits's Page)