How to make your minced Onions/Garlic lasts longer?

The secret? Keep them in glass jar or container in the fridge!!!

Cik Ngah believes that as working wives or mothers, we always find ways to ease our way in the kitchen. Especially if we want our family to eat home cook meals and you have no maid or helper in the kitchen! One of the ways to shorten time to cook is to have the main ingredients ready especially the onions and the chilli paste!

This is what Cik Ngah do:

1. Onions and garlic is chopped using food chopper or the dry blender can also be used. This is to avoid mixing water if you use the blender. This way onions or garlic last longer. Keep the minced onions/garlic in a glass jar/container in the fridge- this is important to prolong the shelf life of the onions/garlic.
2. Chilli paste, cook the dry chillies in the water. Let it boil for a while. Strain the chillies in the strainer and put them under running water. This way the seeds will reside at the bottom of the strainer. To make paste, blend the chillies in the blender with vegetable oil instead of water. Only use a little bit of boiled water. Keep in glass jar/container in the fridge.



Remember! Use glass jar!



These ingredients are always available in Cik Ngah fridge for expedite home cook meals! Using these methods the ingredients last almost 1 month. Sometimes longer! So far these things had never gone bad before I finished them off, though Cik Ngah seldom cooks!

My Mexican Bun

My Mexican Bun...
Don't judge the boo by it's cover!

Cik Ngah had tried making this ala 'Rotibouy' bun weeks ago, but did not update the blog yet as Cik Ngah was still searching for easier recipe for the sweet dough to follow especially the ingredients portion to use.

Finaly Cik Ngah found one that produce soft and delicious sweet dough when making the Cinnamon Roll the second time!

The picture show the 1st trial of making the bun, taste good despite the image! The recipe :

Ingredients:

Fillings
200 g salted butter – softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons brown sugar

Topping
100 g butter – softened
100 g icing sugar
2 size B eggs
1 teaspoon coffee emulco or you can use 2 tbsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 tbsp of water
1/4 of ground Cinnamon
100 g flour

Sedap.......

Sweet dough
150 g bread flour
100 g red rose flour
50 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
10 g powder milk (I used 1/2 packet of Hi Goat)
1/4 tsp bread improver
1/4 tsp bread softener
30g size B egg, slightly whisked and weigh
6 g instant yeast (1/2 packet of 11g yeast)
30 g vegetable shortening
125ml water

Methods :
Sweet dough :

1. Put all the ingredient in the bread maker, select DOUGH and press ON.
2. The whole process will take about 1 hr 30 min

Filling :

1. Beat butter for 3 mins and then add vanilla and sugar. Mix well.
2. Spoon the mixture into mini muffins pan to make 10 portions.
3. Refrigerate.

Topping :

1. Beat butter and icing sugar for 5 min till light and fluffy.
2. Add in egg one at a time and mix well.
3. Add the coffee emulco and the the flour.
4. Mix until combined, refrigerate until ready to use.

Mexican Bun :

1. Punch the dough to release air and remove it from the BM .
2. Divide the dough into 10 balls and let it rest for 10 min.
3. Flatten a ball of dough with the palm of your hand.
4. Place a ball of filling in the centre of the dough. Gather the edge and pinch to seal.
5. Pat into shape and place on a greased baking tray. Repeat with remaining portions of dough.
6. Set aside for 45 min in a warm place.
7. Pipe the topping on the buns in a spiral, starting from the centre.



Not and expert in piping!.....

8. Bake in preheated oven at 200 C for 12 to 15 min or until buns are lightly brown.

My Cinnamon and Apple Roll Buns

My Cinnamon Roll Buns..... Fresh from Oven

Cik Ngah dah lama nak cuba buat roll buns ni, baru hari ni dapat buat sebab cuti! Cik Ngah guna resepi dari sini: Mat Gebu's Apple Roll Bun

Seperti biasa Cik Ngah ubah sikit bahannya...
First time cuba ni, Alhamdulillah jadi, tapi next time Cik Ngah akan canai nipis sikit adunan doh sebelum disapu mentega tu...

Bahan-bahannya:

150 gram tepung roti

100 gram tepung ros

50 gram gula halus

1/2 camca teh garam halus

125 ml air
10 gram susu tepung (Cik Ngah guna 1/2 packet susu Hi Goat)
1/4 camca teh bread improver
1/4 camca teh bread softerner
30 gram telur (pecahkan 1 biji telur, pukul sedikit dan timbang)
30 gram vegetable shortening/minyak sayur
6 gram instant yeast (mauripan) (Cik Ngah guna 1/2 packet yg 11g tu)

My Apple Roll Buns....

Bahan Tabur Apple Roll Bun;
1 sudu besar mentega, dicairkan
2 sudu besar gula perang
1 biji epal hijau, dikupas dan parut kasar, perah sedikit airnya
1/2 sudu teh serbuk kayu manis (optional)

Bahan Tabur Cinnamon Roll Bun;
1 sudu besar mentega, dicairkan
2 sudu besar gula perang
1 sudu teh serbuk kayu manis

Cara Membuat Doh Tradisional;

1. Larutkan yis dalam air suam, biar berbuih.
2. Satukan semua bahan lain kecuali mentega, masukkan bancuhan yis dan gaul rata hingga menjadi doh. Tambah mentega dan terus menguli hingga mendapat doh yang kenyal dan anjal (kurang lebih 20 minit).
3. Bulat2kan doh, letak dalam bekas dan balut dengan plastik bersih, biarkan 45 minit hingga naik.

Cara Membuat Doh Menggunakan Breadmaker (BM);

1.  Satukan semua bahan2 untuk doh dalam breadmaker.
2. Pilih setting untuk "DOH" dan tekan "ON".
3. Tunggu hingga siap (selalunya BM mengambil masa 30 minit menguli dan 1 jam memerap, ikut jenis BM masing2).

Cara Membentuk Roll Bun:-

1. Tabur tepung pada meja kerja, keluarkan doh, tumbuk untuk membuang udara.
2. Bahagikan doh kepada 2
3. Tekan2 dan canai sehingga menjadi 4 persegi (tabur sedikit tepung jika melekat).
4. Sapu dengan mentega cair, tabur dengan gula perang+serbuk kayu manis(jika guna) tadi rata2.
5. Akhir sekali ratakan parutan epal hijau.
6. Gulung seperti swissroll, gulung ketat2.
7. Kerat dengan pisau tajam kepada 5 bahagian sama besar.
8. Utk doh satu lagi, ulang langkah 1 - 4.
9. Seterusnya tabur kismis atau blackcurrant.
10. Ulang langkah 6 & 7.

Tabur Kismis/Apple rata-rata

Potong dgn pisau tajam....

1. Isi setiap potongan dalam paper cup bersaiz 4 inci, tekan sedikit biar leper.
2. Buat hingga siap dan perap 45 minit.



Apple Roll Bun - Left, Cinnamon Roll Bun - Right, rehatkan selama 45 minit sebelum dibakar...

3. Sapu telur (baki dari 30 gram tadi) rata2 dan bakar dalam oven yang telah dipanaskan pada suhu 180C selama 25 minit.
4. Keluarkan dari oven dan sapu dengan baki mentega cair. Biarkan sejuk dan boleh hidangkan.

My Baked Rosemary Chicken

My Baked Rosemary Chicken.....

Ingredients;
1 whole chicken cut into halves
1 pack of McCormick Rosemary Chicken Marinate
(Manage to grab 1 at Giant!)
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cube non msg chicken stock - I use Maggi.

5 piece of potatoes skinned and cut into chunks
5 piece of sweet peas
50g asparagus
1 small yellow and red capsicum or bell pepper sliced
1 small carrot cut into chunks
2 large onion cut into chunks

Soup;
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cube non msg chicken stock
1 stalk of celery chopped
1 small carrot cubed
1/2 tsp black pepper coarsely grain
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped red onion

Chilie Tomato Gravy;
2 medium red tomato
3 piece of red chillies
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Juice of half lemon
Fresh parsley - 2 stalk
(Blend all ingredients and cook to boil and add sugar and salt to taste)

Methods;

1. Dissolved marinade and chicken stock mix in warm water - whisk it by hand!
2. Then add oil, continue whisking.
3. Lay chicken in a container and pour marinade over chicken and coat thoroughly.
4. Refrigerate overnite in a close container - or use cling wrap, to wrap your container.




Wrap and refrigerate overnite....



Marinate/coat the potatoes
in the remaining gravy...

5. Remove chicken from the marinade, and use the remaining marinade in the container to quickly coat the potato chunks.
6. Remove potatoes and lay in the baking dish together with onion. Set aside the remaining marinade.
7. Put the chicken on top of the potatoes.
8. Bake for 1hr at 180c, turning the chicken at half way thru.

   

   The vegetables....

9. While the chicken is in the oven, marinate the vegetables with the remaining marinade.
10. 10-15 minutes before chicken is done put the vegetables and continue baking until done.
11. Use the remaining marinade to make soup.
12. To make soup, stir fry garlic, onion and black pepper in a pot or sauce pan.
13. Add in chicken broth, water, chicken stock and the leftover marinade, cook to boil.
14. Add in  carrot and celery, and add salt to taste.
15. Serve with Rosemary Chicken Rice

My Baked Rosemary Chicken and My Roemary Chicken Rice
.... western dish serve on 'tikar mengkuang' !!!!!

My Rosemary Chicken Rice

My Rosemary Chicken Rice, garnish with chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients;

1 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cube non msg chicken stock
(or 1 tsp salt)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
(or 3/4 tsp dry rosemary crushed)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, Coarse Grind
1 1/4 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced and drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp butter/margerine

Directions;

1. Heat butter in a wok or a rice cooker pot and stir onion, garlic, rosemary and pepper.
2. Fry and stir on medium heat 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth and chicken stock or salt.
4. Bring to boil, and transfer the rice into a rice cooker, and add tomatoes stir and cook until finished.
5. When rice is cooked add parsley; fluff with fork.
6. Serve with Rosemary baked chicken, gravy and soup.

NOTE:
Actually I really want to cook the Rosemary Chicken as I did manage to grab one McCormick Rosemary chicken marinate at Giant the other day. So I googled to find suitable receipt for rice to have with the baked chicken, find this receipt at McCormick : Portuguese-Style-Rice-with-Rosemary

So I modified a bit to become My Rosemary Chicken Rice. Verdict? Delicious!

My Rendang Kerang Adabi

Rendang kerangku........

Cik Ngah tersuka rendang kerang ni bila ada officemate Cik Ngah bawak rendang kerang masa Pot Luck office tahun lepas. Cik Ngah pun google resepi rendang kerang dan try buat.

First time tak jadi, sebab terlebih asam! Second time baru mencapai tahap yg Cik Ngah suka. Ni kira 3rd time Cik Ngah buat sebab rempah kerang adabi ada lagi, lebihan buat dulu tu.

Googled resepi sebagai basic dan Cik Ngah modify ganti rempah kari ngan rempah rendang dan tambah lada hitam dan lada sulah... mengancam..cubalah...

Bahan-bahannya;     

1-1 1/2kg isi kerang

1 biji bwg besar merah

5 ulas bwg putih

2 inci lengkuas

2 inci halia
2 inci kunyit hidup

2 btg serai

15-20 tangkai cili padi

2 sudu besar rempah rendang adabi

1 sudu kecil serbuk lada hitam + lada sulah
* kisar bahan-bahan diatas*



1 keping asam keping

2 sudu besar kerisik

1 1/2 cawam pati santan

1 kiub ikan bilis tanpa msg
Gula melaka secukup rasa

Garam secukup rasa

daun kunyit dan daun limau purut dihiris seperti bunga rampai

Cara-caranya;

1. Tumis bahan-bahan yg dikisar hingga naik bau..
2. Masukkan santan, kiub ikan bilis, gula melakad, daun kunyit dan daun limau purut
3. Masak hingga mendidih dan renih hingga pecah minyak - biar kering sedikit
4. Masukkan kerang, kerisik dan garam secukup rasa.
5. Terus masak sehingga mencapai kepekatan rendang yg disukai.

My Perapan Garam Kunyit

Perapan Garam Kunyit - Multipurpose Marinate

I usually made this in bulk and keep in a glass container with plastic lid. Aluminium and tin lid will react with the salt - berkarat nanti!.Since it main ingredient is SALT you can keep without refrigerating. But I do keep mine in the fridge.

Bahan-bahannya:

Bahan-bahanya......

200g garam bukit- I use Halagel             
50g  halia
100g kunyit hidup
1/4 cwn kunyit serbuk
1 labu bawang putih
2 biji   limau nipis - perah ambil jus
10 btg serai

Cara-caranya:

1. Kunyit, halia, bawang putih dan serai dipotong kecil-kecil.
2. 'Blend' semua bahan (kecuali jus limau nipis) dalam dry blender - yg kecik tu, mungkin kena blend sikit-sikit mengikut muatan blender.
3. Kacau rata bahan yang dah diblend dan masukkan jus limau nipis.
4. Simpan dalam bekas kaca bertutup plastic.

NOTE :

1. Garam kunyit ni boleh diguna untuk perap ikan dan ayam goreng, ayam or ikan masak kicap dan lain-lain. Ikan goreng sedap dan rangup!.
2. Boleh juga perap ayam and ikan utk buat sup. Cubalah.. ikan dan ayam sup lebih sedap.
3. Sesuai juga untuk daging bakar, tambah lada hitam utk perap daging bakar!!!