Marinara Sauce

It's Autumn Hues! at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). The colours of autumn ; orange, yellow, red and brown. We are cooking with Ina Garten, and I've made her Marinara Sauce. 

This is sooooo easy to make, and taste great!  I've used canned plum tomatoes in puree, and did the chopping in the saucepan itself, breaking up the tomatoes with the wooden spatula, as the tomatoes are soft and breaks up easily. No need to mess the cutting board! And used dried parsley instead of fresh. Go easy on the salt, I use less than half a teaspoon kosher salt, and Ina uses 1-1/2 teaspoons. The canned tomatoes already contain some salt, adjust to taste accordingly.

I love marinara sauce, very handy to keep a jar or two in the freezer. Will definitely make this again.

Marinara Sauce
(source from foodnetwork.com)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Autumn Hues !

Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt

Yoghurt is really very easy to make at home. All you need is some yoghurt as a starter, and some full cream milk. I have been making my own yoghurt all this while, the only time I buy yoghurt is when I ran out of yoghurt as a starter to make another batch of yoghurt. I used my homemade yoghurt for baking, cooking, desserts or just eat it as it is. It is also great with some granola or fresh fruits and makes a wonderful ingredient in dressings and sauces. 

When a recipe calls for buttermilk in cakes baking, I would substitute buttermilk with a mixture of homemade yoghurt and milk (source from Dorie Greenspan), ratio is 1/3 cup yoghurt and 2/3 cup of milk, stir to combine and leave for about 5 minutes before using. It works out great each time,

I have posted before how I made plain yoghurt, and today, I'm sharing my Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt.

 The ingredients for making yoghurt : Fresh Yoghurt and Full Cream Milk

I always use Sunglo fresh yoghurt, which contains live ABT cultures, the microorganisms which helps to convert milk into yoghurt, and is beneficial to human health. Whatever brand of yoghurt you use, make sure that it contains ABT cultures. And I always use full cream milk, which makes a creamier yoghurt than using low-fat milk.

You would only need about 2 tablespoons or so of yoghurt as a starter, and if you are wondering what to do with the rest of the yoghurt in the tub, simply freeze them in ice cube trays, store them in the freezer and each time you need to use, take the amount required and thaw before use. Here is how I store the unused store-bought yoghurt :

What to do with leftover yoghurt :

1. Take out the amount you need and place it into a mug. I would call this as the yoghurt starter.

2. Fill up the ice cube trays with the balance yoghurt.

3. Place in the freezer overnight until frozen solid.

4. The frozen cubes of yoghurt.

5. I placed each cube of frozen yoghurt in small plastic bags. I would recommend packing the cubes in small plastic bags, as I find that when I store them together without the plastic bags, they tend to stick together and it would be difficult to separate them when they are frozen.

6. Fold each of the small plastic bags over and place them in a zip lock bag. Store in the freezer and each time when you need some (either for yoghurt making or in a dish which requires just a small amount of yoghurt, this would come in handy) , just take the amount required, and thaw before use. 

Now, lets's make some yoghurt :

To make two cups of yoghurt :

1. Put two cups of full cream milk into a medium pot. 

2. Slit open a vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, put the seeds and the vanilla pods into the milk. (If you are making plain yoghurt, simply omit the vanilla bean).

3. Heat the milk over low heat, and bring it to just under a boil, when the milk at the sides of the pot is just beginning to boil. Turn off heat, let milk cool to just warm to the touch, which would take about 30-45 minutes. 

4. Scoop about one third cup of warm milk into the reserved yoghurt starter in the mug. The milk must be just warm, as too hot, it will kill the microorganism in the starter. Stir to combine well, making sure that the yoghurt starter is fully dissolved.

5. Pour the starter mixture back into the pot of milk. Stir till evenly combined.

6. Remove the vanilla pod.

7. Strain the mixture over a sieve into a clean container, to remove any milk skin or curdles that has formed. Don't worry, most of the tiny vanilla seeds will go thru the strainer.

8. The strained milk with the speckled of vanilla seeds.

9. Close the container. Leave at room temperature overnight, or longer, in a warm corner, undisturbed, until yoghurt sets.

10. Or, simply do as I always do, place the container of yoghurt in a microwave oven, with a cup of hot water next to it. DO NOT TURN ON THE MICROWAVE OVEN. Close the microwave oven, leave the container in it overnight to set. Remember do not turn on the oven, it is merely acting as a vacuum so that the hot vapour from that cup of hot water will circulate within the oven, and to keep the microorganisms happy in the warm environment that they will help to set the yoghurt.

 Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt. Store the container in the fridge and enjoy!

This is the plain yoghurt which I made the week before. For plain yoghurt, simply omit the vanilla beans.

You could use your own homemade yoghurt as a starter for the next batch of yoghurt. I have made yoghurt using my own homemade yoghurt as a starter, which is good for two batches, and after that it would be advisable to start on a fresh yoghurt starter with live ABT cultures.

And if you need some Greek yoghurt, you can make your own too. Place two layers of cheese cloth over a sieve, and place the sieve in a bowl. Pour two cups of homemade yoghurt onto the cheese cloth, and place the sieve with the bowl in the fridge, for a few hours or overnight. The thickened yoghurt collected on the cheese cloth will be the Greek yoghurt and the whey collected in the bowl can either be discarded or use for bread making. 

Now you have seen how easy to make your own yoghurt! There's no need to get one of those yoghurt making machine, you do not really need it. If you have not tried making your own yoghurt before, give it a try, you will enjoy the process of making it, and even better, the rewards of creamy homemade yoghurt to be enjoyed later! And it is so much cheaper to make your own!

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This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (May 2015 : Yoghurt) organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Cheryl of Baking Taitai

Homemade Spinach Noodles (from homegrown spinach)

I made some Spinach Noodles a couple of weeks ago for January's Little Thumbs Up Noodles event hosted by Anne of My Bare Cupboard, but did not quite make it on time. So, I'm sharing it today :)

My homegrown Chinese spinach, harvested from my potted garden. I was a little late in harvesting these veggie, and they are a little old to stir-fry, so I used the leaves and stems to make Spinach Noodles.

1. Roughly chop the leaves and stems. Place them in a blender with a little water and blend to a puree.
2. Strain the blended spinach over a sieve into a bowl to collect the juice.
3. Press the residue with the back of the spoon to extract as much juice as possible.
4. Amount of lovely spinach juice collected.

1. Add the spinach juice into a bowl of flour.
2. Mix them and knead to a smooth dough. 

1. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for about 45 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a thin sheet. Sprinkle with some flour on both sides.

1. Place the sheet of dough through the pasta maker to roll it out thinner (or to desired thickness).
2. Cut them into long noodles using the pasta maker.

Toss them in some flour to prevent sticking. Blanch the noodles in hot boiling water, drain and refresh briefly in cold water, and dip them again briefly in hot water. Ready to use and cook as desired. 

I've served the noodles with cooked minced pork, fish balls and some veggies.

Homemade Spinach Noodles
(serves 6)
150gm Chinese spinach (amaranth)
3/4 cup water
3/4 tsp salt
550gm plain flour

1. Roughly chop the leaves and stems of the Chinese spinach. Place them in a blender with a little water and blend to a puree. (Do not add more water than necessary. If the juice is not enough after straining, additional water can always be added during kneading).
2. Strain the blended spinach over a sieve into a bowl to collect the juice.
3. Press the residue in the sieve with the back of the spoon to extract as much juice as possible.
4. Mix the salt and flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add in half the spinach juice, gradually adding the remaining juice as you knead, to make a smooth dough. If the dough is dry and all of the juice has been used up, add in a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough comes together. Knead until the dough is smooth, it should not be too soft.
5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and keep aside for about 45 minutes to rest.
6. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, roll them out flat, and pass them one by one through the pasta maker to thin them out evenly. Cut the flattened dough to desired size noodles using the pasta maker. 
7. Toss the noodles with some flour to prevent sticking. Cook in hot boiling water, refresh in cold water and cook as desired.

Homemade : Dulce de Leche (two ways)

Today, I'm sharing on how to make Homemade Dulce de Leche, two ways. Most of you would already know how Dulce de Leche is made, and would have probably made them before. I have not seen Dulce de Leche being sold anywhere here in the area where I live, maybe I could probably get it from Cold Storage or The Grocer, but since I'm not going to these places anytime soon, and not even sure if I can find it, I decided to make them instead.

Dulce de Leche is a sauce or syrup, similar in taste to caramel, but is made by heating sweetened condensed milk until it turns gloriously brown, the colour of caramel. It is a common ingredient used in South American countries. The Mexican use goat's milk to make Dulce de Leche, and one of these days, I would try to get some, just to compare on the difference in taste.

There are various ways of making Dulce de Leche. The most common method is to use a can of condensed milk and boil it for about 2 hours, fully submerged in boiling water at all times. I have read that there is a risk in using this method, due to the heat, the can may bulge, and there is a danger of it exploding. (Imagine the clean-up that you have to do, if that happens!) Some suggests to make two tiny holes (at opposites sides of each other) at the top of the can, then place it in a pot of water, upright position, filling the pot with hot water to about 1" from the top of the can, letting it boil for 2 hours. Which method should I use? Neither, as I further read that it is not a good idea to even use the can method as the cans are not meant to be used in high temperature conditions, since they are not manufactured for such use, and it would not be recommended for health reasons. Both methods have been used by many, so it is up to your personal preference and judgement. 

I'm sharing two ways of making Dulce de Leche, the first one by making it all from scratch, without any condensed milk, but with regular full cream milk. The second is by using canned condensed milk. Let us start with the first method first :

The first method :

1. You will need four ingredients ; a liter of full cream milk, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 vanilla pod.  Dissolve the baking soda in 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, and keep aside.
2. Combine the milk and sugar in a heavy pot, with tall sides. 
3. Split the vanilla beans, scrape the seeds into the milk mixture along with the pods.
4. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved.
5. Remove the pot from heat, add in the baking soda and water solution, stirring vigorously. Mixture will bubble up immediately. Stir until the mixture settles down. Return the pot to the heat and bring to a brisk simmer. 
6. Simmer for an hour, or until it turns golden brown, you need not stir it all the time. I stirred the mixture now and then, about 15-20 minutes in between or so.
7. When the mixture has turned a dark golden brown, check on it frequently. Decide how thick or dense you want your Dulce de Leche to be. Let it simmer longer for a thicker set. 
8. Remove from heat, strain into a glass container or jar, let cool, seal and store in refrigerator.

From 1 liter of milk, the yield is only about 1 cup of Dulce de Leche.

I made mine into a pourable sauce consistency, the colour is really dark, and it took me about 1 hour 40 minutes for the whole process. Taste is really good, with sort of like a "butterscotch flavour".

The second method :

1. You will need : 1 can of condensed milk, some sea salt. Open up the can of condensed milk and pour it into a 8" baking dish (I used a Pyrex dish). Sprinkle with some sea salt over the top.
2. Cover the dish with a piece of large foil, tucking in the ends snugly. Place the dish in a roasting tray, filling it with hot water, about halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the oven at 425F (220C) for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, checking the roasting tray a few times, and adding more hot water if necessary. (I baked mine for 1-1/2 hours, and adding on the hot water, once).
3. Once the colour of the milk has become the colour of dark butterscotch, remove it from the oven. Remove the foil and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Whisk until smooth.
5. Pour in an air-tight jar, and store in refrigerator.

Gloriously creamy and thick, since condensed milk is used. 

My notes and comparison :
Taste :
Method One 

Between these two methods, I prefer the first method. Making the Dulce de Leche from scratch using full cream milk and sugar, simmering it to the point until it takes on the colour of dark caramel, makes it tastes so similar to a butterscotch flavour. I made mine into a pouring consistency, it is not as creamy, and  as rich as when using the canned condensed milk, but the taste makes up for it, and it is not as sweet as the condensed milk version. This is especially good drizzled over pancakes and crepes. For a thicker set to spread over bread and toasts, simmer it longer until it reached your desired thickness.

Method Two

Using the canned condensed milk, the texture is very creamy and thick, as condensed milk is already creamy and thick! Tastewise, it is extremely sweet. This would be great for baking and making ice creams, and I have been enjoying some of it in my morning coffee.

Texture :

Method One

You've got to keep track of the consistency you want, once it has reached the colour of deep golden brown. To make it really thick, more cooking time is needed with constant monitoring.

Method Two

The advantage of using canned condensed milk is you do not have to actually keep close track of the creamy consistency, as it is already thick to begin with.

Ease of Making :

Method One

Even though the mixture is left to simmer without the need for constant stirring, it makes clean up a little messier, but bearable! Easy to do, but need monitoring towards the end to keep track of the colour and thickness you want.

Method Two

Really easy method. Just leave it in the oven without disturbing it at all. The only work is, to check on the water level in the roasting pan at halftime and add more if necessary. This is definitely the easier method between these two.

For a pouring consistency, I would go with the first method. And for a thicker and creamier one, definitely the second method. It all depends what you are using the Dulce de Leche for. I'm sure you'll find something to use it for, with either methods of making. 

Remarks - Recipe Source :

The above recipes was sourced from various websites in the internet. Most of them have used the same amount of ingredients and the same method of preparation. I'm listing two of the sources here for reference

The Kitchn (making Dulce de Leche from full cream milk)

David Lebovitz (making Dulce de Leche using canned condensed milk, also can be found in "The Perfect Scoop" pg 171)

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I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up event, ingredient for this month is Milk, organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Doreen of My Favourite D.I.Y., hosted by Tze of Awayofmind Bakery House.

and

Cook-Your-Books #12 @ Kitchen Flavours

Homemade Chicken Stock

Cook Like A Star , All-Stars Anniversary Party is continuing on for the whole month of April! Put your party hat on and join us! For the list of our featured chefs, please refer to the list at the end of this post.

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I used to make my own chicken stock all the time, and suddenly I stopped making any for the longest time! Why, plain laziness! Making your own chicken stock is really easy, but you need to plan ahead as it takes a few hours, about 3 to 4 hours, to simmer the stock until the amount is reduced and the full flavour is achieved. All the ingredients are cut to big chunks and it does not really take much time to do that. When the stock is ready, you would need to strain it over a fine sieve, let the stock cool down, then store the stock in containers, label them, and freeze, if you are not using them immediately. Before you decide how much stock you intend to make, make sure that your stockpot is big enough and that your freezer has enough of storage space!!  It is no fun, at the end of the day, you find that your freezer cannot accommodate all those stock, and got to use them up within a few days. Or you can always send them my way! Haha!

 Once the stock has come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours! Be patient!

You'll be rewarded! My batch of chicken stock, using Ina Garten's recipe.

Notice the layer of fat at the top of the stock? You may remove them before freezing the stock, but I prefer to freeze them as they are, and only remove them when they are partially thawed, it is easier to remove the fat that way. I have 16 containers and freeze 14 of them. 

I reserved one container which I left overnight in the fridge (not freezer), and the next day, I skimmed off the fat and freeze them in ice-cubes containers, once they are frozen solid, remove them and store in zip-log bag for uses which requires a tablespoon or so of stock.

There's one container which I left in the fridge (not frozen) for three days (yeah, I got side-tracked and did not use it as I intended to!). Though it cannot be seen clearly from the photo above, the stock actually turned gel-like. Not to worry! This means that this is good stock!  The collagen from the chicken bones is what makes the stock to turn gel-like, and this is natural, and only happens to rich, well-made chicken stock! Yipee..! And once the stock is heated, the gel will dissolve and it will turn liquid once again.

Don't forget that label! A number of times I find myself with a few unlabeled containers and wondering what was that! And did you know that most frozen stuffs have almost or no signs of any smell at all, eer... don't ask me how I know! Haha! I thought I would remember but then.....getting old I guess!! I have learnt my lesson! Now I label everything...with the exception of that few containers in my freezer, which I am still wondering, only way to know is to defrost them.... but then I've got to use them up after I defrosted them. Guess I've got to "spring-clean" my freezer soon!

Try to use the frozen stock within 3 months, I have kept mine longer than that (when I used to make my old batch of stocks before this), and they were fine. This photo was actually an old photo I took ages ago from my previous stock-making, the rest of the photos above are all current ones, taken on that day indicated on the labels.

When was the last time you've made your own chicken stock?

Chicken Stock 
(makes 6 quarts)
(adapted from Barefoot Contessa)
3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half (optional) (did not use this)
20 sprigs fresh parsley (replaced with 2 bay leaves)
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill (did not use this)
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

my notes :

I've used a mixture of 3-1/2kg of chicken wings and meaty chicken bones (free-range chicken), as I feel that using 3 chickens of 5-pounds each (about 7-1/2kg in total) is too much, and it will be a waste of chicken meat. Of course, you can always find ways of using all that meat, but the meat will be all too soft and mushy.

I have omitted the parsnips. And have replaced the fresh parsley with 2 bay leaves instead. Use half the amount of fresh thyme and did not use any dill, as I really wanted a chicken stock with no strong smell or taste of herbs, since I'll be using it for various cooking. I peeled the carrots but left the onions and garlic unpeeled, make sure they are washed clean. I used 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt, not too much salt, since the stock will be used for various cooking.

Once the stock comes to a boil, lower heat, and keep covered, simmered for 3 hours, and the last hour, I kept the lid ajar (about 1/4 open gap). The recipe states that to simmer the stock uncovered for 4 hours. I have always make my chicken stock, simmered with the pot covered, I guess old habits die hard! 

I've got 5 quarts of stock, which I store in plastic containers, each container is a little over 1 cup capacity (total 16 containers). I did not skim off the fat accumulated at the top layer, preferring to directly freeze as it is once it has cooled down, and remove the fat only when I partially thaw the stock, as it will be easier to remove when the fat is partially frozen.

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Cook Like A Star is entering it's third year this March! How time flies! To celebrate Cook Like A Star's 2nd anniversary, for the months of March and April, Cook Like A Star is having an All Star Anniversary Party! Isn't this exciting? Cook or bake from any of the previous featured chefs' recipes, and they are :

Ina Garten

Jamie Oliver

Nigella Lawson

Curtis Stone

Ree Drummond

Bill Granger

Masterchefs

Martha Stewart

Delia Smith

Donna Hay

The hosts for All-Stars Anniversary Party are, Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Mich of Piece of Cake and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Everyone is welcome to join us, cook or bake from any of the above chefs' recipes and link your posts to the linky below or from any of the hosts' page. Your post must be current. Feel free to use the above logo in your blog post. Please mention the following :

I'm linking this post to Cook Like A Star, All-Stars Anniversary Party, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Mich of Piece of Cake and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

See you at the Party!

From 1st March to 30th April!

An InLinkz Link-up

Homemade Pickled Jalapenos

Pickled Jalapenos has been on my list of to-try for ages. I finally got round to it. Making our own is definitely much cheaper than the ones sold in jars from the supermarket, and you can find them only from the high-end supermarkets. Again, this is one item that I am always hesitating to buy, as a small jar is rather costly. Fresh Jalapenos are really not expensive, and Pickled Jalapenos are really so easy to make, so there's really no excuse not to make some, that is, if you like pickles!

I found this recipe from David Lebovitz's website, which he adapted from "Michael Symon's Live To Cook" by Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman. 

The Jalapeno pepper are first washed, cleaned and wiped dry. Make a few slits in each Jalapeno. Place them in a clean preserving jar. 

The brine is made by bringing to boil, the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and garlic. When the brine starts to boil, turn down heat and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes, to infuse the flavours. Pour the brine over the Jalapenos in the jar. Place the lid on and let cool. Refrigerate for at least a week before consuming.

Pickled Jalapenos can be used in just about anything that calls for pickles. Just cut them up and use them in your Quesadillas, burgers, hotdogs, in pastas, even eaten with fried noodles, just as we love eating our local noodles with sliced pickled green chillies. 

The Pickled Jalapenos are very crunchy. The little red chilli is not crunchy at all, maybe because the red chillis are ripe, when I use to pickle them, even though they are very firm when I plucked them off the plant. Next time, I'll just stick to fresh Jalapenos for my pickles!

I cooked some fried beehoon (Chinese rice vermicelli), and had the Pickled Jalapenos, chopped up as a condiment. 

Give this a try. You could sliced up the fresh Jalapenos if you like, before soaking them in the brine instead of leaving them whole.

I've made about half a recipe from the original recipe below, using about 8 medium sized Jalapenos and 3 small red peppers from my own garden. These Pickled Jalapenos are great, really crunchy and not too sour. 

Pickled Jalapenos
(source from : David Lebovitz)
1 pound (450gm) fresh jalapeno peppers, washed (or another chile pepper in place of the jalapenos)
2-1/2 cups (625ml) water
2-1/2 cups (625ml) vinegar (David used white distilled vinegar, and so have I)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons coarse salt, such as kosher
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1. Stab each pepper three times with a sharp paring knife and place them in a large glass preserving jar.
2. In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the other ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
3. Remove from heat and pour the brine over the peppers. Place the lid on the jar and let cool. Once cool refrigerate for at least a week before using, if possible. (You can use them sooner, but Michael says they're worth the wait).

Serve whole, with Mexican dishes, or remove the seeds then chop and use to season any recipe that is improved by a little bit of sweet heat.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

As promised, here's the recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese. Comparing to the Homemade Ricotta Cheese which I've made months ago, this is really much easier and takes less time to make. Mascarpone Cheese is very expensive, and I have always hesitated to buy them, so I have done a search from the internet on how to make my own Mascarpone Cheese. What I've noticed, was that, almost all of them uses the same recipe with the same ingredients and measurements. 

There are only two ingredients which you will need, heavy cream and lemon or lime juice. The equipments that you will need, are, a saucepan, a big piece of muslin cloth, a strainer, and a bowl.

Use a heavy cream which is Pasteurized but not Ultra Pasterusized, check on the carton that there is no UHT (Ultra Heat Treatment) appears on the carton, if there is, then that carton of cream is Ultra Pasteurized.

(A note on the heavy cream, some sites did mention that even when using UHT cream, it would work for soft cream cheese like Mascarpone, so it is up to your own judgement to decide. The Anchor brand that I've used is UHT cream, and it works for me!).

Here's how to make your own Homemade Mascarpone Cheese :

In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream over a medium heat until it comes to a simmer, if using a thermometer, it should read at 190F (88C). Be careful not to burnt the bottom. Stir in the lemon juice (I've used lime juice), and continue to heat for 5 minutes at the same temperature, stirring constantly. The cream should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, have ready a strainer which is large enough to accommodate the amount of the heavy cream. Place four layers of cheesecloth over the strainer and place the strainer over a bowl to catch the whey from the cheese, which is really very little. 

When the cream has come to room temperature, pour the cream onto the cheesecloth, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerature, for 8-12 hours or overnight. (Sorry, I have forgotten to take the photo of the cream at this stage).  The picture above is after an overnight rest in the refrigerator.

The cheese is thick and creamy. I was all smiles when I see this! Yay! It works! My very own Homemade Mascarpone Cheese!

Scoop the cheese out and place in a container, and store in the fridge if not using immediately. It will keep for about a week.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese, very creamy and tasty! Really easy to make, no excuse not to try this out!  :)

I know that some of you would want to know how it tastes like compared to the store-bought ones. I have not eaten ready-made Mascarpone Cheese as it is, as I have always eaten it when it was already used in desserts, mostly Tiramisu Cake! From what I gather from the internet, homemade Mascarpone is creamier and tastier than store-bought. The only way to find out is, try this out yourself! 

Once you have made your own Mascarpone Cheese, there are endless recipes out there for you to try! I have made this lovely Tiramisu. And there are a couple more recipes which I've been eyeing, that will have to wait until I make my next batch of Homemade Mascarpone Cheese.

Tiramisu dessert in a glass,  made using my Homemade Mascarpone Cheese.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese
(adapted from various sources from the internet)
Yield : about 1-1/2 cups
2 cups heavy cream, pasteurized (not ultra pasteurized)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 1-1/2 tbsp lime juice)

1. In a large saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. If using a candy thermometer, it should read 190F (88C). Be careful not to scorch the bottom.
2. Stir in the lemon (or lime) juice and continue to heat, maintaining the same temperature of 190F (88C) for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The cream should be thick enough at this point, to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
3. Place a strainer lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth over an empty bowl. Scoop the cream onto the cheesecloth, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator together with the bowl, for 8-12 hours, preferably overnight.
4. When finished straining, scoop the cheese to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator if not using immediately. It will keep for about a week.

(The whey collected is really very little, about a quarter cup of so. Discard the whey.)

I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up event, where the ingredient for this month is Cheese, organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, hosted by Alice of I Love.I Cook.I Bake

and to :

Credit Crunch Munch hosted by Angela of My Golden Pear, for Camilla at Fab Food 4 All and Helen at Fuss Free Flavours

OT2/14

Easy Homemade Egg Tofu

Egg tofu is one of my kids favourite tofu. In fact, they love all kinds of tofu, as most kids do. As for myself, I prefer the soft local white tofu over egg tofu.
I have been wanting to give this recipe a try for years ever since I bought this local cookbook years ago. Haha! Thanks to Little Thumbs Up event, where the ingredient for this month is Soy Beans, and hosted by Mich from Piece of Cake, this is just the push I needed to finally try my hands at making some egg tofu, though this is a quick version, as I've used store-bought soy bean milk, direct from the carton. Did not want to make my own soy bean milk, just in case the tofu fails. Making soy bean milk is lot of work, if you are doing it manually. I used to make it all the time, years ago, and have not made any in ages.

Let's see how this Homemade Egg Tofu is made :

(note : this recipe is taken from a local recipe book, and there are only three brief sentences in the instructions. I'm giving the actual recipe instructions from the book, refer recipe below. And I've included my own step-by-step photos).

The recipe does not indicate how long it would take for the tofu to cool, or whether it needs refrigeration overnight, and the steps of unmoulding the tofu, as it is very soft and fragile.  For a novice at making tofu for the first time, it was really confusing, I was at a loss when it comes to unmoulding it! Refer to my step-by-step photos below, hopefully it would be of help, if you want to give it a try. Should you have a better way of unmoulding the tofu, please do share!

Plain Soy Bean milk, no sugar added.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soya bean milk, egg whites, egg yolks and salt, until combined (I have omitted both the pepper and chicken stock granules as calls for in the recipe). And have reduced the amount of salt, as I've wanted to use it for savory dishes later and do not want it to be too salty. Adjust to your own preference, though I think my measurement of scant 1/2 teaspoon is just right, with just a light hint of saltiness.
2. Get ready a 8" square tray, lined with a plastic, make sure it is food-grade plastic, or use a cling wrap. Either grease the insides of the pan or brush with some water, so that the plastic would stick to the pan. Strain the mixture into the tray. (If you are worried about using plastic, like I am at first, but this is over a low simmer and for a short period of time, so I decided to go ahead with it, just make sure it is food-grade plastic).
3. The strained soya bean milk mixture. Prepare the steamer, as soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, let water come to a simmer.
4. Place filled tray in steamer, cover and steam for 20 minutes over low simmer, though mine took about 40 minutes, until the tofu is set. Increase water in the steamer pot if water level is low. You may notice a layer of water over the tofu, check the layer underneath by tilting the tray, if the water flows to the side, and the tofu underneath are set (though it will be whobbly, but not in liquid form), then it is ready, my method! But be careful the steamer is hot, best remove the tray first.

Now, comes the tricky part : unmoulding the very soft, fragile tofu! Needs some thinking and adaptation from my stuffs in my kitchen!

5. The tofu took a few hours to cool, and it was still very soft. So when the tofu is no longer hot, I placed the tray in the refrigerator overnight, hopefully it will set further.
6. On the next day, remove tray from refrigerator, place a plastic sheet over the tofu, and another tray of the same size so that the base of the second tray fits on the surface of the tofu, this is to minimize the break-up of the very soft tofu when turning it upside down later. (Removing the tofu by holding the two sides of the plastic wrap and lifting it up, will break the soft tofu, I've tried, and it looks like the tofu is going to break up, so I gave up!).
7. Very gently but swiftly, hold the two trays together and turn them upside down, now the bottom tray is up, and the second tray is at the bottom, with the top facing down.
8. Remove the top tray (see ** below), and place a large cutting board over the tofu (still with the plastic on top of the tofu).
9. Holding the shorter two sides of the cutting board and the tray together, slowly turn them upside down, with the cutting board now at the bottom. Remove the tray, the tofu is now on the piece of plastic, on top of the cutting board.
10. Cut the tofu to size required.
11. Use a pastry scraper to gently lift tofu pieces and place on serving plate.

** You can acutally stop at step 8, and cut the tofu on the tray itself, if you want to. I just prefer to use a bigger cutting board so that I have some work space to slide the tofu onto the pastry scraper.

A piece of cut tofu. We had two pieces for our dinner that night. 

Store the balance in individual containers for easier transferring to a plate later on, simply by placing the plate on the container and turn the container upside down. It is impossible to lift the tofu by hand without breaking it up! Store the tofu in the refrigerator.

Homemade Egg Bean Curd

(source from : Hawkers' Fair Simplified)

1000 ml plain soya bean milk 

5 egg whites

3 egg yolks

1-1/2 tsp salt (I used scant 1/2 tsp)

dash of pepper and chicken stock granules to taste (Omitted these two ingredients)

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well and strain.
2. Line a 8"/20cm square tray with plastic wrapper and pour in mixture
3. Bring water to boil, lower the heat and steam for 20 minutes or until set. Remove.

Homemade Egg Tofu with Oyster Sauce and Crispy Fried Shallots, for our dinner, my kids favourite tofu dish. I'm sure my Asian blogger friends, each has their own family recipe for this dish, it really is an evergreen old-time favourite! I'm giving my recipe below, the way I always make at home, with store-bought tofu. I would still buy ready-made tofu, as it is really convenient to keep a pack or two in the fridge, but now that I have made it myself, I do not mind making this again, when I have the mood, that is! Haha! 

Maybe now is a good idea to invest in one of those soya bean milk maker!

The family loves it! The tofu is very soft and really smooth, yummy! You can see how smooth it is from the picture above. You can pour the sauce over the cold tofu straight from the fridge or, if you like, remove the tofu ealier from the fridge and have it at room temperature later. Either way, both are good!

Tofu with Oyster Sauce and Crispy Fried Shallots
(by kitchen flavours)
1 piece tofu
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp light soy sauce, or to taste
1 tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp sugar, or to taste
1 tbsp shallots oil
2 tbsps crispy fried shallots
2-3 tbsps chopped spring onions

Place tofu on serving plate.

In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, light soy sauce, warm water, sugar to taste, stir until sugar dissolves. Adjust seasoning accordingly. (Sometimes I placed this small bowl of mixture in my rice cooker, over the hot cooked rice, for about 10 minutes, just to make sure the sugar is dissolved, remove and use as follows). Add shallots oil, stir and pour over tofu. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions, and then the crispy fried shallots over, generously. Enjoy!

#98/100


This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Mich of Piece of Cake at this post.

Ingredient for this month is Soy Beans

I'm linking this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #5 hosted by Kitchen Flavours