Chicken dumpling soup

I always make Chinese soup and it takes long time to cook. Usually I make Western soup with short time cooking, it is easy and delicious. So... this is the first time I make Western soup with long hours cooking!

Ingredients
4 Chicken thighs (keep skin & bones)
2 cubes chicken broth
1 1/2 L water
6 peppercorns

olive oil
2 onions (chopped)
3 large carrots (diced)
3 stalks celery (diced)

1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 potatoes or 250g of celeriac (diced) => I didn't use it

200g mushrooms (cut into half)
1 bay leaf

250g all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

125g cold unsalted butter

1 egg

100ml cold water or milk

Instructions
1. In a large pot, fry chicken thighs until golden color, add in peppercorns, water, bouillon. Cover and bring to a boil; skim foam. 

Reduce heat, cover and simmer 45-60 mins or until chicken is tender. 

Remove chicken thighs from the pot, place them on the chopping board, let them cool

2. Add onions, carrots, celery, peas & potatoes to the pot & cook for 10 minutes

3. When the chicken cooled down. Remove chicken skin and bones, chop or tear chicken into smaller pieces

Set aside

4. Add mushrooms, bay leaf & chicken, let it simmer at low heat for 1 hour

Open lid, increase heat, let it boil gently

5. During 1 hour simmering, in a mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt

Add in butter and egg, mix well

Add in cold water or milk, mix well

Divide into 12 portions and roll each portion flat (0.3cm thickness) 

6. When the soup brought to boil, add in dumplings into the pot, cover and cook for another 20mins

Enjoy!

Roasted black sesame powder

Why we take a step more to prepare the black sesame? Why don't we just grind it into powder?

Sesame releases its flavor and aroma through heat, it smells stronger after roasting the black sesame.

Ingredients

A package of black sesame (I used 200g)

1/2 tsp white sesame

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the black sesame for 20mins

2. On a wok or sauce pan, pour the black sesame, DO NOT put oil in it, fry at medium fire
Add in white sesame, it is to check if the black sesame is cook enough

3. Turn it to medium low fire, fry until you smell the aroma of the black sesame, you can also see the smoke, stir it regularly

After about 9-10mins, the black sesame should be ready, you can also tell by the golden color of white sesame
Turn off the heat, let it cool down

4. When it is cool enough, you can grind it into powder by food processor

5. Store it in a air-tight container
Now you can use it for different black sesame dessert! :)

Enjoy!

Black sesame chiffon cake

I bought some black sesame from Chinese supermarket last Sunday, I wanted to try black sesame sweet soup, but I found this recipe instead... so I tried to make it and now share it with you all! 

Ingredients (7" mould or 6" mould + 4" mould)
4 egg yolks
22g caster sugar

1/8 tsp salt
19g black sesame powder*

60g flour

1 tsp baking powder**

38g vegetable oil
60 ml milk

4 egg whites
45g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar OR few drops of lemon juice

*Highly recommend = roast black sesame & grind into powder, click here to see how to do it

**It is in the original recipe, it puffs a lot if you add it. However it is not necessary

Instructions
1. Preheat oven at 170°c

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar
Add in salt, baking powder, black sesame powder and flour, mix well

3. Ad in oil and milk, mix well

4. In another mixing bowl, beat egg whites, sugar & cream of tartar, until the egg white mixture forms firm peak

5. Fold 1/3 egg whites in the egg yolk mixture, with the help of spetula, with fast and light motion
Fold in the rest of the egg whites

6. Pour the batter into the mould, drop the mould to the working surface several times, to remove excessive big air bubbles

Note: DO NOT grease the mould, or the cake will shrink while baking

7. Put the mould in the oven, then reduce heat to 150°c. Bake for 35-40mins 
Note: check if well cook => a needle comes out clean when inserted in the middle

8. Remove the cake from the oven. Invert the mould immediately on a wire rack

Let it cool completely

9. Use a knife to scrap the outer edges of the mould, remove the mould carefully

Then scrap the inner edges and the bottom of the mould, remove the mould carefully

Enjoy!

Spiced red lentil carrot soup

I make soup each week & I have been making celery soup since long time, I love it but I think it is time to try something new :)

Ingredients
2 tsp cumin seeds
chili flakes

1L hot water
1 cube vegetable/chicken stock

2 tbsp olive oil

600g carrots

140g red lentil
125ml milk

plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
naan bread


Instructions
1. Heat a large pot, dry-fry the cumin seeds and chili flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pot => release the aroma
Scoop out 1/2 seeds with a spoon. Set aside

2. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock, water and milk to the pot and bring to boil
Reduce the heat to low heat, simmer for 15 mins until the lentils become soft

1. 3. Blend the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor - smooth or chunky
2. Serve with yogurt, 1/2 toasted spices & naan
3. Enjoy!

Green tea chiffon cake

I am so glad that I am on vacation hoho, so that I have more time to bake :D 
I can't stop making green tea dessert... here is another recipe of green tea which I think is good.

Ingredients - 6" round mould
10g Green tea powder (original recipe = 7g)
50g Hot water

3 egg yolks
30g sugar
30g vegetable oil (except olive oil)
40g flour

3 egg whites
30g sugar
few drops of lemon juice


Instructions
1. Preheat the oven at 180°c
In a small bowl, dissolve green tea powder by hot water
Set aside

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar
Add in vegetable oil, mix well
Add in flour, mix well

3. In another bowl, beat egg whites with sugar and lemon juice, until the egg whites form firm peak = the egg white won't bent downward

4. Use a spetula to scrap 1/3 egg white to the green tea mixture, with quick & light motion, cut and fold the mixture
Add in the 2/3 egg white to the green tea mixture, cut and fold the mixture

5. Pour the mixture to a mould carefully
Drop the mould on the working surface several times, to remove big bubbles

6. Bake it in the oven at 150°c for 40mins or until the top becomes golden

7. Do not remove the cake from the mould while it is hot, but turn it upside down and let it completely cool down = to prevent the cake collapses

Enjoy!

Dinner roll - healthy version

After raining for few days, it's so sunny and warm today. I wanted to grab this chance to make 2 batches of dinner roll... but I found that I don't have enough all-purpose flour :( ok.. let me think... I'll try to mix it with other kinds of flour, to make it healthy :)

Ingredients
1cup Milk (slightly warm)
1/3cup Sugar
7g Dry yeast

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups multi-cereals flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1tsp salt
1/3 cup or 75g butter at room temperature
3 egg yolks

Instructions - click here.


You may ask: What to do with the rest of the egg white? 
Store it in the fridge for a few days, then we can make:
1. Pavlova - click here to get the recipe
2. Mont blanc - click here to get the recipe

Tips to make meringue successfully, click here

Enjoy!

Green tea swiss roll with green tea filling

Recently I ran out of green tea powder, I have been waiting for weeks to get some in the Asian supermarket :( Finally I bought it yay! I can't wait to make this green tea swiss roll, I am green tea lover.

I tried several green tea recipes, but I am very satisfied with this one - the color of the cake is so nice. The taste is good too!

Ingredients of cake (28-30cm)
6g green tea powder
25g warm water

3 egg yolks
20g sugar
30ml vegetable oil (except olive oil)
40ml water
60g flour

3 egg whites
40g sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven at 190°c

In a small bowl, mix green tea powder and 25g warm water, set aside

2. Mix egg yolks with sugar, mix well

Add in oil, 40ml water and the green tea water, mix well

3. Add in flour, little by little, mix well

4. In another large mixing bowl, beat egg white and sugar, it is ok to add sugar in the beginning, it works

Beat the egg white until it is firm enough - when you turn the bowl upside down, the egg white stick the bowl

5. Fold in 1/3 egg white into the egg yolk mixture, with fast and light motion, not to break the egg white

Add the rest of the egg white

6. Line the swiss roll mould with baking sheet

Pour the mixture onto the mould, scrap the mixture to flat & even surface

Hold the mould and slightly tape it towards the table, to remove the excess air bubble

7. Put in the oven 190°c and bake for 12mins or until it is golden color

Let it completely cool down on a rack

8. Cut off the edges and set aside

Filling of cream
250g mascarpone
5cl whole milk
50g icing sugar
6g green tea powder

Beat the mascarpone and whole milk, mix well
Add in icing sugar and green tea powder, mix well

Store the cream in the fridge for an hour or until it becomes firm

Combination

1. Lay the filling onto the cake (the golden part face upward)
Use a spetula to spread evenly the filling

2. Roll the cake delicately upward, from one end to another end

3. Put the cake into the fridge for few hours before serving

Enjoy!