Simple Mashed Potatoes (and Simple gravy!)

Ingredients
For Mashed Potatoes
(Original recipe here. Below measurements are what I end up using.)
3 potatoes (I used local SG potato)
About 1 table spoon Salt
About 1 table spoon butter (I used salted butter)
About 1 cup milk (at room temperature)


For Gravy
About 500ml water
1 chicken stock cube
0.5 Japanese curry stock cube (honey apple flavor)
(Note: original recipe from HERE calls for 1 beef stock cube, or use 2 chicken stock cube in total. But I didn't have beef stock cubes, and I only had 1 chicken stock cube left, so I replace with Japanese curry & it turned out quite nice for us!) 
Thickener (Corn starch or Corn flour or other thickener like plain flour/all purpose flour)
About 1 table spoon butter

Note: Above ingredients are estimates. You can adjust accordingly.

Method for Mashed Potatoes
1) Add Salt to boiling water & Boil Potatoes with skin on for 30min.
(I boil over stove for 10mins, then transfer to Thermo Pot and let it simmer for 1 hour.)
2) Drain water
3) Wait for potatoes to cool off for safety.
4) Peel potatoes (if you like country style mashed with some potato skins, you may opt to leave some on.)
5) Cut potatoes into small cubes (for easier mashing).
6) Mash with potato masher if you have. (I used fork.) --> Set aside after mash. (not need to be super fine at this stage, but just ensure not giant cubes or lumps.)
7) Heat butter to get it melted at low heat. 
8) Add Milk to butter and stir. Do not bring to high boil. Just low heat or remove from heat after you add milk and keep stirring. They won't combine perfectly, but is ok. You just want to ensure even pour into the potatoes later.
9) Add mixture from step 8 to the mashed up potatoes about 1/3 portion of the mixture at a time. This is to ensure you have an easier time to mix the potatoes with the liquid. While mixing, continue to use the fork/masher to combine. You will notice the potatoes get smoother as you add more and more liquid and mashed them up together. :) 
10) (Optional step) Add tiny cubes/slices of ham/cooked crispy bacon/other filling of your choice. 

Method for Gravy
1) Bring water to boil and add in stock cube (Solid stock cube paste adds more flavor and thicker gravy.)
2) Lower heat to low heat.
3) In a separate sauce pan: Melt butter & add your thickener like plain flour/all purpose flour and stir to ensure no lumps. (very low heat or remove saucepan from stock as you add flour..) 

(If using Corn starch : Add 2 teaspoon corn start to 3 tablespoon room temperature water in a bowl, and stir to ensure even mixture. At this stage, add the butter to the stock mixture and stir to ensure butter melted and incorporated.)

4) Add Stock mixture to the Butter + Flour saucepan about 1/3 portion at a time, stirring to ensure even mix.

(If using Cornstarch: slowly add the Cornstarch + water mixture into the stock mixture about 1/3 portion at a time, and turn up the heat a little to keep the mixture boiling. The Cornstarch will thicken only as the liquids boil. Keep adding the cornstarch water and boiling the mixture until desired thickness.)

Remove from stove, let cool a little and serve with Mashed potatoes when ready to dine. :) 

Simple Beef Stew

 

Ingredients

Beef Cubes (about 500g) - seasoned with Sesame oil, Salt & Pepper, and set aside while I prepare other ingredients.

1 carrot (Cubed)

1 yellow sweet onion (Sliced)

1 potato (Cubed)

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Table spoon butter

1 Table spoon cooking oil

Soup Stock or water (about 800ml)

1 table spoon dark soy sauce (just to make the color of stew darker. Can opt out as it does not really affect the taste)

Soy sauce / Salt + pepper to taste

Cornstarch/Corn flour + water (for thickening sauce if desired)

Method

1) In the pot, heat butter, sugar, cooking oil & stir fry onions until caramelized (about 10min ++) 
2) Add Beef and Stir fry till external of beef looks cooked and coated with caramelized onions/sauces.

3) Add carrots & potatoes

4) Add soup stock/water & dark soy sauce (adjust amount of water as needed. I filled to about half the pot, ensuring content is covered)

5) Bring to boil at high heat, then lower heat and simmer with cover closed at low heat until liquids reduce to about 50% (If using thermal pots, after high heat boil, transfer to outer pot and close lid for next 1-2hrs. Longer if desired more tender meat, flavorful gravy and softer veggies.)

6) Add soy sauce/salt/pepper to your desired taste. 

Optional: If prefer thicker stew, Mix 2 teaspoon of corn starch / corn flour + 3 table spoon of water in a small bowl until no lumps. Slowly add this mixture to boiling stew 1 table spoon each time. Let stew boil for about 5min between each table spoon to give them for the sauce to thicken until desired thickness. 

(I did not do this step as I prefer my stew to have soup-like gravy so that the kids can enjoy with the rice.)

Airfry: Baked Pasta

I made this from leftovers, but this can easily be made from scratch. :) 

Ingredients

Pre-boiled Pasta of choice (enough for what can fit your baking tray) :) 

Bolognese sauce

Parmesan cheese

Aluminum foil to line baking tray

Steps:

1. Pre-heat air-fryer for 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Assemble all ingredients in a lined baking tray. I did (from bottom to top) sauce, pasta, cheese, sauce, pasta, sauce, pasta, sauce cheese. :) 
3. Bake for 10min

Enjoy while warm.

Airfry: Milo Bread-Tiramisu

I had half a loaf of bread expiring so I decided to try out this Milo Bread-Tiramisu. 

Original Recipe here.

Ingredients:

Part A:

• 200ml of milk
• 2 eggs
• 40g of sugar
• 30g of Milo powder

Part B:

• 5-6 slices of bread

Steps:

1. Pre-heat air-fryer at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. In a bowl, mix together the milk and eggs. 
3. Add in sugar and Milo powder. Stir well.
4. Cut all 4 sides of the bread to remove the crust. Then, cut the bread in half. (I cut some into small quarters as they will then lay nicely at the side of the round baking tray.)
5. Place a layer of bread into your baking tray.
6. Pour half the Part A mixture THROUGH A SIEVE over the bread layer. The sieve helps to remove lumpy eggs/Milo or bubbles. (Make sure the mixture doesn’t overflow the bread. It should allow bread to soak up the mixture just about nicely.)
7. Repeat step 5 & 6 this for another layer. It is ok that the final mixture does not cover everything. It is not meant to fill up the baking tray and flood over the bread. :) 
8. Bake for 20mins, 180 degrees Celsius.
9. Once done, take out and cool. 
10. Sprinkle Milo power on top just before serving. :) 

I suggest you cut and serve direct from baking tray as below is soft and mushy - like in actual Tiramisu.

ENJOY! :) 

Airfry: Apple (Pie) Pizza

This is an improvised Apple Pie using Plain Pizza Crust and baked in #Mayer Air-fryer.

Original Recipe here.

Ingredients:

Part A

• 3 apples thinly sliced or diced (Green taste better & richer than red due to more citrus nature)
• 2 tablespoons flour (original recipe calls for all purpose flour but I only have self raising so I used that)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt (to prevent browning of apples) / alternatively use lemon juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoon sugar (original recipe calls for brown sugar, but I only have white regular sugar so I used that)
• (Optional) Cinnamon powder - I skipped this as I didn't have this.

Part B

1 Pizza crust

Butter (in small cubes)

Baking paper

Steps:

1. Preheat Air-fryer at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix all the ingredients in Part A. Ensure all apple is coated well :) 
3. Line Air-fryer baking tray with baking paper
4. Put Pizza crust into baking tray.
5. Spread Part A mixture onto crust.
6. (If you wish, cut strips of pizza crust and place on top.)
7. Add cubes of butter on top, spacing them out well across the pizza
8. Bake in Air-Fryer for 15min, 180 degrees Celsius.
9. Take out and enjoy! :) 

Airfry : Banana Muffins

It's been a while since I updated this blog but I have been experimenting with my Air-fryer!! One of the easiest bakes I've tried is the Banana Muffin! The original recipe is from here. (I like this site as I can change the quantity I wish to make and the recipe re-calculates how much ingredients I need!)

For this bake, I tweak the recipe according to what I have. I'm a very lazy baker and I don't bake very often, so I try to find recipes with what I ready have at home and estimate the amounts based on what I have.

My version of Banana muffin:

Ingredients: (makes about 12 regular muffins or 9 regular and 7 mini muffins) --> I ran out of the regular muffin cup.... 

1 Egg (I didn't weigh the egg...)

125 g Self Raising Flour (Sifted)

40 gm salted butter, melted (1 used 4 pieces of breakfast butter spreads, each 10 gm since I get them from ordering breakfast at KFC...something like this one) I like it this way so I don't have to buy a huge chunk of butter to only use once in a blue moon...

2 very ripe large Bananas (use your judgement and experiment with this. If you feel yours is not "large", you can add more. The muffin will just be more dense and more banana-flavor.)

Recipe calls for 100 gm white sugar (I used packet sugar which you use to make coffee/tea. Each packet is 5 gm and I only use 10 packets as I didn't want to risk my cake being too sweet. You can adjust to your taste.)

(I skipped the salt, baking soda and baking powder in the original recipe.)




Method:
Air-fryer: Pre-heat at 160 degrees Celsius

1. Mash Bananas using fork.
2. Mix in egg, melted butter, sugar (heat from butter and the stirring should melt and incorporate the sugar)
3. Stir in flour in batches (to avoid mess of flour flying into your face!). I just used the fork to stir. Didn't want to wash extra utensils. :) 
4. You should end up with some what mushy but even cake mix.
5. Scoop using teaspoon into your muffin cups (fill to half way or 3/4 way). Muffin will rise when baking so don't over fill!
6. Put into Air-fryer and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 15-min. :) 
7. Stick a toothpick down the center and it should come out clean if the muffin is done.
8. Allow muffins to cool before storing or enjoy them warm with a cup of tea!

(If you are keeping them overnight, you can keep them in containers at room temperature for not more than 24-hrs, since we didn't put preservatives. Or store them in refrigerator up to maximum 3 days. Heat in microwave for about 10 seconds to before eating to enjoy them warm and soft.)

Airfry: 3 ingredient NUTELLA Brownie

 Original recipe here.

Bake Time: 25min

Temp: 180 degrees Celsius

Here's my attempt at the 3 ingredient Nutella Brownie. Original recipe in the link above, but I adjusted the amounts based on what I have at home.

My Ingredient List:

Nutella (I only have about 300g left so I emptied it.)

Self raising flour: about 50g

2 Eggs (medium size)

Salt (1 pack of Macdonald's breakfast salt)

1 Macdonald's breakfast butter (for greasing base and side of baking pan)

Baking paper - for lining base (for easier removal of brownie later)

Preparation:

Place baking tray on baking paper & Trace. Cut accordingly and line base of tray with the cut-out.

Steps:

1. Preheat Airfyer at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease base of baking tray lined with baking paper. (and side of tray)
3. Mix Nutella, eggs, self-raising flour, salt until no lumps.
4. Pour mixture into greased baking tray.
5. Bake for 25mins at 180 degrees Celsius.

Best enjoyed while slightly warm with Ice-Cream! :) 

For storing : Wrap in aluminum foil and keep in fridge after completely cooled. Warm in microwave for 10 seconds to warm brownie for best effect. :) 

Airfry: Honey Cornflakes Cup

Thanks to the encouragement of my friend and sharing recipe that requires easy to get ingredients that I don't have to waste after a baking session. :) 

Ingredients:

About 150gm (Half box of 275gm pack) Cornflakes, lightly crushed in ziplock so it is easier to scoop later) - my kids can eat the balance for breakfast

About 2 tablespoon of Honey - I can use to make honey drink and tea with balance

6 pieces of (Macdonald's) Melted Butter - I improvise by using Macdonald's butter when I order pancakes.

(for topping) Rainbow Sprinkles (the only item I bought specially for this bake).

Steps:

1. Pre-heat Airfryer 150 - 160 degrees Celsius.
2. In a pot (use a bigger one so it can hold cornflakes later in step 3), and very low heat, melt butter and mix honey. Remove from heat once butter is melted. (This steps is really short so keep an eye on the pot!)
3. Pour cornflakes in and mix well.
4. Scoop mixture into mini cupcake paper. (Easier to use teaspoon.)
5. Top with rainbow sprinkles.
6. Airfry at 150 degrees Celsius for 10min to set the cornflakes.
7. Cool & Store in airtight container.

Enjoy & Share with friends! :) 

Airfry: Prawn Paste Chicken (Pre-marinated & Frozen)

Pre-marinated & Frozen Prawn Paste chicken bought from Qoo10

or this iChef one --> I prefer the taste from this supplier.

Bake time: 20min (Flip at 10min)

Bake temp: 200 degrees.

Steps:

1. Defrost pre-marinated frozen chicken.
2. Line baking tray with baking paper (Preferred as paste will stick)
3. Lay chicken in single layer in baking tray. (Meatier part down first - I find this cause it to stick less)
4. Bake for 10min at 200 degrees.
5. Flip to other side and use wooden spoon to scrap fallen paste and lay on chicken.
6. Bake for another 10min - 15min to ensure chicken is fully cooked.

ENJOY!! :) 

Airfry : Frozen chicken nuggets

In just 15min (+10min preheat) at 180degrees Celsius, you get from frozen to fabulous :)

Simple pour frozen nuggets into the air fryer basket (I kept them to line in a single layer and did not bother to turn them). 

An easy lazy snack for any party! 

Airfry: blueberry M&M muffin / cake

Ingredients 

Muffin mix

1/2 cup water (or milk)

M&M 

Butter (for coating tray)

I used this :) 

Instructions

Pre heat air fryer for 5min at 180oC.

Coat baking tray with some butter.

Pour pre mix into a mixing bowl. 

Add water. 

Mix well. 

Pour batter into baking tray. 

Top batter with M&M

Air fry for 10min at 180oC. 

Once done, check with wooden chopstick or satay stick. Put the stick vertical into the cake and pull out. Stick shd come out clean. If cake batter is still wet inside, air fry for another 3-5min. 

Airfry : honey wings

Ingredients:

Frozen CP honey wings 

Instructions:

(Optional: line base of airfryer tray with foil or baking paper)

1) preheat airfryer at 180oC for 5min

2) while waiting take out wings from freezer to slightly thaw

3) empty whole pack of wings into air fryer basket (I did not arrange them nicely)

4) air fry at 180oC for 10min

5) (optional : if not satisfied, adjust/flip wings and air fry additional 3-5min)

Tadah! Juicy tender honey wings!

Airfry: Frozen fish fingers

The easy lazy way :)

1) preheat air fryer 180oC,5min

2) remove frozen fish finger from packaging and lay on aluminum sheet/tray

3) place aluminum sheet with fish fingers in Airfryer basket

4) air fry at 180oC, 10min

5) if not satisfied with results, flip fish fingers and air fry another 3-5min 

The result : Yummy comfort food!!

Airfry: Bacon wrapped asparagus & enoki mushroom

Warning: irresistible delight ahead! Suggest to make in batches and keep secret stash before main meal begins.. Else it might be gone before your guests arrive!

Ingredients:

Streaky bacon (I bought mine from cold storage, vacuum sealed bacon - abt 20 slices inside)

Asparagus (I bought organic asparagus coz the regular ones looked thick and brown. Could not find baby asparagus that day)

Enoki mushroom

Preparation:

1) rinse asparagus and half them

2) rinse enoki and set aside

3) lay a slice of bacon on your working area (I did this on my chopping board) 

4) take 4pcs of asparagus (2 "heads" and 2 "bottom") and a small sprig of enoki and lay them on bacon

5) roll bacon slightly diagonal so that most of the asparagus/mushroom is wrapped.

Instructions:

1) preheat air fryer 180oC for 5min

2) lay assembled rolls in air fryer basket (I initially put them in an aluminum tray but the fats collected was quite horrifying and I didn't want my rolls to be soaked in them! Hence I opted to wash the air fryer basket and base rather than disposables)

3) air fry at 180oC for 8-10min (I did mine at 10min and was satisfied with results so I stopped here)

(Additional optional step)

4) open and turn rolls

5) air fry another 3-5min at same temp. 

And this is what the husband says "the airfryer is a good buy... Just for this!" As he takes yet another one and pops it into his mouth...;) 

Banana Nutella Oreo ice-cream!

Ingredients:

(Adjust accordingly: more Nutella = more chocolatey, more Oreo = more crunch)

5 bananas

2 tablespoon Nutella

5 crushed Oreos

Instructions:

1) peels bananas, slice them to abt 1-2cm pieces. Freeze for at least 2hours.

2) Break Oreos (any flavor you like) into small pieces

2 hrs or so later:

3) use blender to pulse and blend banana until you get a creamy texture (first minute or so might be clumpy but it should get creamier and easier to blend after a while). 

4) add Nutella and blend till about even throughout 

5) add Oreo pieces and pulse till about evenly spread throughout 

6) pour into container and return to freezer until ready to serve. 

(If serve less Frozen will taste like soft serve ice cream; if freeze longer will taste like traditional ice cream.)

Enjoy!!!

Airfry: Frozen seaweed wrapped chicken

Ingredients:

Frozen seaweed wrapped chicken

Directions:

1) preheat airfryer for 5min, 180oC. 

2) while preheating, take out Frozen seaweed wrapped chicken from freezer to slightly thaw. 

3) pour desired amt of chicken into airfryer basket

4) air fry for 10min at 180oC. 

5) serve hot. :)

Airfry: open face breakfast sandwich

Ingredients:

Frozen sausage (slightly thawed)

2 slices of bread

1 egg (room temp)

Butter

Instructions:

1) Pre heat air fryer 5min, 180oC

While pre heating:

(Lay an aluminum sheet on work bench and do the following)

2) Slice sausage to about 0.5cm slices.

3) Spread butter on bread slice 1 and 2

4) Use a cookie cutter to cut out the middle of bread slice 2

5) stack bread slice 2 butter side up on top of bread slice 1. 

6) line sausage slices in the middle

7) crack egg over sausages

8) (optional) add shredded cheese

9) lift aluminum sheet with sandwich into air fryer basket

10) line remaining sausages around the sandwich if you wish

11) air fry for 8-10min at 180oC

12) serve hot :) 

White fungus snow pear dessert

(Referenced original recipe from here : http://dequeenkitchen.blogspot.sg/2013/04/snow-pear-with-white-fungus-soup.html?m=1)

So the elder JZ is in another bout if cough and phlegm AGAIN so I decided to try some TCM methods that does not require bitter medicines... :)

This is suppose to be good to clear phlegm , cough and strengthen lungs.

Here's what I did:

Ingredients :

Wash above, slice pear, and about 1-2tsp of each of the rest. 

White fungus - soak for 20min, rinse and break into smaller florets

 + Chuan Bei Mu (seed form or ground into powder, got from ZTP) 川贝母

+ rock sugar to taste 

Final product after 15min boiling and 45min simmer:

(Can be served warm or chilled. )

Apple Salad :)

Made this for our Christmas eve get-together :)

Ingredients:
1 Red Apple (I like the big crunchy type)
2 Granny Smith green apple (1 if it is a huge one)
Raisins
Bacon bits
Mayonnaise (or Yogurt if you prefer a healthier version)

Instructions:
1) Dice apples (soak them in salted water for a few minutes to prevent browning)
2) Drain water
3) Add the rest of the ingredients (raisins, bacon bits, mayonnaise) and mix well
4) Serve chilled.

(Optional: Add walnuts or sunflower seed or your favourite nuts for extra crunch.)

NO BAKE Cake ! :)

I don't have an oven, so I LOVE this recipe from a friend.

Below are instructions from her (enough to serve 4-5pax, each having a pretty decent portion of cake! :) 

It turned out awesome! [Image borrowed from Pf Fletcher :) 'cause no one took pictures!]

2 super ripe whole bananas. Usually I wait for the bananas to be super ripe. ie. blackish skin & flesh to be mushy. That's the best banana to use.

1 1/3 rice-cup self raising flour
1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness level you want)
3 eggs
1 pinch of salt ( for preservation)
1tsp vanilla essence
2/3 egg shell of odourless cooking oil (we used vegetable oil)

steps:
1. Roughly mash bananas
2.Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla essence, oil, salt together until smooth consistency.
3. Add in mashed bananas and whisk to let it mix tgt
4. Add in flour and whisk till even consistency
5. Steam for 30mins using medium fire with a cloth under lid to prevent water droplets from falling onto the cake.
6. Use a chopstick to check 'done-ness'. Test at 4 corners and centre of cake. Chopstick should come out clean. A little bit of cake stuck onto chopstick is ok.
7. Let it cool for about 30mins. This is to let the insides of the cake set ie. cling tgt and the sides of the cake will pull off from the bowl letting the cake slide out easily.
8. Cut, serve & enjoy

Notes :
1. finish the cake within 2 days cos we didnt use artificial preservatives.
2. Always make sure that the water is boiling before putting the cake in to steam or it will affect the way the cake rises.