BANANA CHIFFON CAKE

Ingredients: Makes one 8" round tube A: 4 egg yolks 60g castor sugar 135g cake/superfne/high ratio flour ½tsp baking powder 110g banana (pisang emas), mashed 1 ½tsp lemon juice ½tsp vanilla essence 1 tsp lemon rind 75g vegetable oil (e.g. soy, corn, sunflower) 80g water B: 4 egg whites ¼ tsp cream of tartar 60g castor sugar Method: Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Set aside. Combine egg yolks and castor sugar in a mixing bowl. Use a hand whisk to mix until light and creamy. Add all the remaining ingredients in A and sifted flour mixture. Mix until a consistent and smooth mixture is obtained. In another mixing bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar in B until foamy. Add sugar in B and whip at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whipped egg whites into mixture of Step 3 . Then, pour this mixture to the remaining egg whites in the other mixing bowl. Fold lightly to combine both mixtures. Pour batter into a 8 inch round tube pan. Bake at a preheated over at 170 deg C for 45-50 minutes or until skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean. As soon as the cake is removed from oven, quickly invert the pan and let it cool. When the cake is completely cool, run a knife around the sides of the tube pan to remove the cake. Take the cake out of the pan together with the tube portion. Run knife at the bottom of cake to remove cake from the tube portion of the pan. Notes: When making cookies or cakes, minimum mixing is required to ensure minimum formation of gluten. Formation of gluten result in dense cakes. Please adjust weight of castor sugar according to the sweetness of bananas. Reference: 'Banana Chiffon Cake' by Amy Beh. http://www.kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1128

Written on 28-05-0

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:500 gram boneless chicken thigh – removes skin and fats and cut into cubes
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced carrot
6 Dried red chili peppers (less if you want it less spicy), cut and rinsed
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, rinsed
2 cloves Garlic, minced
4 slices ginger
3 Spring onions – cut into 1” length
1/2 cup unroasted peanuts

For the marinade for the chicken:
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
3/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Sesame oil
For the sauce:
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Black vinegar (can be replace with balsamic vinegar)
5 tbsp Water or chicken stock A dash of Sesame oil
1. Firstly, mix together the ingredients for the marinade and add in the chicken. Mix well and set it aside for at least 30 minutes. Mix the all the sauce ingredients and set it aside. 2. Heat about 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a wok. Once it is hot, add in the dried chili, Szechuan peppercorn, garlic and ginger. Stir fry it until lightly brown and fragrant. Add in the chicken; spread it on the wok. Do not stir it until it turns lightly brown. Flip them over and let it lightly brown on the other side. This will take about 3 minutes. 3. Add in the celery, pepper and carrot. Continue to stir fry for two minute and then add in the sauce. Continue to stir fry until the sauce coated the chicken and thickens. 4. Check seasonings and see if it needs a bit more salt. Lastly add in the spring onions and peanuts. Toss it lightly and dish out. 5. Serve with warm rice.