Creamy Potato salad

1 1/2 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons salted capers, well rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1 (3.75 ounce) can sardines in olive oil

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 boiled egg

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water by at least an inch, add a good pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover partway, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain on a rack set in the sink and leave them there until cool enough to handle.Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/3-inch cubes. Drop them into a mixing bowl, separating the cubes as you go. Add the tomatoes, onion, olives, capers and parsley. Toss gently. Crumble the oregano over the top, pour in the oil, and toss gently.

Transfer the salad to a large serving dish. Drain the sardines and blot them with paper towels, add boiled egg then arrange them over the salad. Let this sit for 30 minutes, and serve it at room temperature.

* can replace the olive oil with heinz salad cream hence it looks like this:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

175g plain flour

150g rolled oats

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g soft light brown sugar

50g raisins

1 medium egg lightly beaten

150ml vegetable oil

4 tsp milk

Preheat the overn to 200C before baking. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Mix together the flour, oats, ground ginger, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and raisins in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the egg, oil and milk together. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture. Mix the mixture together well with either a fork or wooden spoon to make a soft but not sticky dough. Place spoonfuls of the dough well apart on the oiled baking sheet and flatten the tops down slightly with the tines of the fork. Transfer the biscuits to the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 mins until golden.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
140g butter
50g caster sugar
60g dark brown sugar
1 medium egg beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
125g plain floor
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g plain milk chocolate chips

Preheat Oven to 180C 10mins before baking. Lightly butter the large baking sheet with 15g of the butter. Place the remaining butter and sugarin a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla essence and blend briefly. If using a food processorm scrape out the mixture with a spatula and place the mixture into a large bowl. Sift the floor and bicarbonate of soda together, then fold into the creamed mixture. When the mixture is blended thoroughly, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced well apart, and bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12mins until lightly golden.

White Chocolate walnut Cookies

Ingredients
140g butter
40g caster sugar
60g soft dark brown sugar
1 medium egg
125g plain flour
12 tsp bicarbonate of soda
few drops of vanilla essence
150g white chocolate
50g whole hazelnuts shelled

Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly butter several baking sheets with 15g butter. Place the remaining butter with both sugars with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until soft and fluffy.
Beat the egg then gradually beat into the creamed mixture. Sift the flour and the bicarbonate of soda together, then carefully fold into the creamed mixture with a few drops of vanilla essence. Roughly chop the chocolate and hazelnuts into small pieces add to the bowl and gently stir into the mixture. Mix together lightly to blend. Spoon heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, bake the cookies for 10mins or until golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 min.

Chocolate cake

5 nos – eggs (whole eggs)
2 nos – egg yolk
170gm – sugar
115gm – soft flour
60gm – cocoa powder
20gm – corn flour
15gm – ovallette
30gm – melted unsalted butter

Ingredients for chocolate ganache:
250gm – dark chocolate covertures
250gm – president cream

Ingredient for filling;
250gm – apricot gel firm

Method:

Beat in eggs, egg yolk, sugar, soft flour, ovalette until creamy and fluffy
Then add in sieved cocoa powder
Lastly add in melted unsalted butter
Pour in a tin round mould (9 inch)
Bake at 180C temperature, 20-25 mins.
To make a ganache, place the president cream in small pot and boil it. Then add in the dark covertures, stir until well combines, set aside to cool
Cut 3 parts of the round sponge. Layered with apricot gel firm. Coat the cake with the chocolate ganache with spatula, refrigerate, cut to desired slice and served.

Yummy Egg tarts

Pastry
100g Sugar
1 Egg
175g Butter
350g Plain flour

Custard 3 Eggs
200ml Golden syrup
200ml Fresh Milk
200ml Water
2tsp Honey

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius
2. Pastry: Place sugar, egg and butter in mixer and beat until sugar is just dissolved. Add sifted plain flour and mix until dough holds together. press dough evenly to egg tarts mould. Bake at 180 degree Celsius for 8 mins, then remove and let cool.
3. Golden Syrup: Dissolve 140g sugar in 120ml water and bring to boil. Add 2 slices of lemon and let cool.
4. Custard: lightly beat eggs and egg yolks. Combine egg mixture with golden syrup, water, milk and honey. Mix well and strain. Pour into half baked pastry shells and bake at 170 degree Celsius until custard is set. To avoid burring custard, release some heat by briefly opening oven door halfway during baking. Keep egg tarts overnight in fridge will taste even better.

Chicken Floss Buns

Ingredients

(A) 450g Bread flour, 120g Plain flour, 110g Sugar, 10g Salt, 20g Milk powder and 4tsps yeast
(B) 1 Egg and 200 ml Cold water
(C) 60g Butter

Mix A till well blended. Add B and knead to form a dough. Add C continue knead to form a smooth and elastic dough. Cover dough with clear firm and let it prove for 60 mins or till it doubles in size. Use finger is pressed into the dough. It should show a clear funger tio mark n dough should not sink.

Method:
1. Divide the dough into 60g portions. shape into balls and leave them for rest for 10mins.
2. Shape the dough into long shape and put them on a greased baking tray, leave it to prove for 45 mins.
3. Brush with egg wash and bake in the middle of the oven at 190 for 12 mins. When cool spread the mayonnaise on top of the buns
4. Coat the top with chicken floss.

Special Tuna Burger

Salad: Add 125g of cream corn and 1 small avocado (chop) and tomato chop, juice of half lemon and salt to taste.

Method: Heat 1tsp of oil, stir fry 1 onion and 2 crush garlic for 2 mins. Remove and allow to cool. Combine 425g tuna in oil, drain and flaked, add in onion mixture, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 0.25g of coriander and 1 egg in large bowl. Shape mixture into 4 patties. Cook patties for 5 mins until golden brown. Place lettuce top with salad. Serve with chips.

Homemade Macaroni Salad

In large bowl stir together mayonnaise, salad cream, salt and pepper until smooth. Add shell macaroni (cooked), smoked salmon, raisin and pineapple. Toss to coat well. Cover and chill. Add in the hard-cooked egg before serve.

My first baking class

I'll be attending a cake baking workshop with Chef Sri Rohaya bte Hj Johari on this Saturday (2nd Feb 2008). For those who are interested to join, please refer to the following flyer. See you there!