Carrot Cake - Featured at Bakeolicious on 10 Nov 2010

This is an all time favorite cake of my family and friends. My dear friend Diana asked me for the recipe last week and I just got to bake this cake today and here it is:D


Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar.
2 cups sieved all purpose flour.
1 tsp. salt.
1 tsp. Cinnamon, ½ tsp Nutmeg
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed.
1 tsp. baking powder.
1 tsp. baking soda.
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil.
2 tsps. vanilla.
4 large eggs.
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are good, but any nut will do).
1/2 cup raisins.


Method:
1. Grease and flour or lined with baking sheets a 8” x 3” round tall pan.
2. Stir together dry ingredients.
3. Squeeze out some of the juice from the shredded carrots
4. Now add to the dry mixture, the carrots, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
5. Beat about 2 to 3 minutes until well mixed.
6. Stir in the nuts and raisins.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 to 60 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting with Sour Cream

2/3 cup icing sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sour cream

Seive the icing sugar and set aside.  Beat 1/2 cup sour cream and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Add  1 tea spoon at a time the icing sugar.  Spread frosting over cooled cake.

Pavlova or Palova

I first tasted the Pavlova in The Ishii’s Residence on 4th July this year.  Their friend, Cheng Yi baked it.  It was really delicious and I decided to make one, one day myself.  If you want to try it, here is the recipe. Pavlova:  Ingredient: 120 grams egg white 1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) sugar 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour) Topping: 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whippingcream 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruits of your choice. Method: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in. Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.) Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)  The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.  Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

Ah Lui Jay's Turnip and dried squid stew

Many may mistaken that this dish is Ju Hu Char but it is not. There is no shredded mushroom or shredded pork. My Mum make this dish to be wrapped in lettuce and it is really refreshing and tasty and will never feel full. It can be eaten as a snack before the main meal or as a side dish for the main meal to be eaten with rice.  If you like it spicy, you can spread some sambal belachan or chilli sauce on the lettuce before putting the stew turnip and dried squid.  

Ah Lui Jay's Turnip and dried squid stew

Ingredients:

1)      1 cup julienne carrot

2)      4 cups julienne turnip

3)      1 cup julienne black fungus
(washed and soaked till all opened and soft)

4)      25 gms dried shredded squid 
(washed and soaked till soft)

5)   2 tbs chopped garlic

6)      2 tbs vegetable oil

7)       3 tsp oyster sauce

8)  1 tsp vegetable stock

9)      1 tbs black sauce 

10)  2 cups water 

11)  Spring onion for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Heat oil and stir fry chopped garlic till fragrant. Add in julienne carrot and stir fry till limp. Add in julienne turnip and stir fry till translucent.  Add shredded dried squid and stir fry till you smell the fragance of dried squid. Add 1/2 cup water and let simmer for 10 minutes. add in shredded black fungus. Mixed well with turnip and carrot. Add 3 tsp oyster sauce, mix well, add 1 tbs black sauce, 1 tsp vegetable stock and mix well. Add 1 cup water. Lower heat and let simmer till turnip and carrot is limp. Turn off fire and scoop up onto the serving plate and serve with lettuce and chilly sauce. I like to eat it wrapped in lettuce.

Dinner with good Company - The Ishiis

We had a wonderful evening with John and Diana Ishii... Pictures speak a thousand words:)

The table setting for the evening

Antipasto

  

Plum Tomato & Puglia Cherry Cheese Salad

Lyonanise potatoes

Grilled code in Pine Nuts White Wine Creamy Sauce with asparagus

Fetucinni with seafood in White Creamy gravy

Remember the grilled Pork Shoulder and fetuccini recipe a few days ago?  You see I have some left over gravy from the grilled Pork Shoulder and a serving of cooked fetuccini pasta from the pasta meal.  As I would like to clear up some space in my fridge, I decided to use them all up.  This is how.  Preparation and cooking time is only 45 mins.

  

Fetucinni with seafood in White Creamy gravy

Ingredients:

Left over sauce from grilled Pork Shoulder (about 2/3 cup)

Left over cooked fetuccinni (1 serving)

1 tb chopped garlic

2 tb Olive oil

1 tb soya sauce

1 ts sugar

1 tb spoon chopped Chinese Parsley

1 tb spoon diced spring onion

½ cup water

1 tb spoon cooking cream

Salt and black pepper to taste

6 – 8 medium prawns,

6 – 8 fresh scallops

Method:

Marinate prawns in soya sauce, sugar and black pepper put aside for 30 mins. Fry garlic in Olive oil till fragrant.  Add the left over sauce.  Let it simmer for 2 secs, add water and simmer another 2 sec.  Add in prawns cook for about 2 mins, add scallops and cook 2 mins.  Add cooking cream to thicken the gravy.  Add fetuccinni and mix well with the gravy and garnished with spring onion and Chinese parsley. 

I served this with left over Garlic Cinnamon pumpkin, steam spinach in butter and freshly baked French bread of course.  

Darling,  lunch is ready!! :D