19/08/2018
Having lots of fun with pressure cooker today. The first trial was a bit disaster as I managed to burn the pot. It turned out that I forgot to turn the black valve to the "cooking position" which locks in the steam! I was wondering why the cooker didn't build up the pressure the whole time. Well, I refreshed my manual and learned to clean the burned pot with baking soda and hot water. And the food did cook through and completely edible. Not too bad overall.
Then I pressure braised chicken drum sticks with soy sauce. 5 minutes under full pressure and meat fell off the bone. Magic.
Finally I pressure braised beef brisket. 40 minutes under full pressure and the beef is fork tender.
Looks like this is going to be my favorite piece of equipment for a while.
20/08/2018
I've been doing Body Pump for a few months. It's weight lifting to strengthen key areas of muscles. I just love it. It's less cardio but more resistance training which complements my whole routine well. But I also like the tone and pace of the class. It's much less quick quick as fast as you can but really take your time to make sure you work on specific muscle areas properly.
However, recently I noticed my knees got particularly sore or even painful after my much loved Pump class. Not sure whether it's because of the new routine (they change the class routine quarterly), or I am still rather new to the class (just a few months), or just wrong posture. After talking to my instructor, she suggested me to really pay attention to my squats, making sure that my knees are really aligned with the third/fourth toe (i.e. a bit outward). Frequently, doing squats with weights on the shoulder can put stress on the knees if they cave in or are only aligned with the first/second toe (with feet angled outward 5-20 degrees). And that was exactly how I did my squats, even with her saying every time to push the knees out. I just didn't realize how far out my knees should go. The caved-in knees and the pushed out ones can differ just by 5 degrees! I noticed that I have to tighten up my thigh muscles further to position the knees correctly. I guess that's the whole point of strengthening the muscles.
I am happy to report that since I really paid attention to my knee position, I no longer have painful knees after the class. So glad that I can continue my Pump class again.
22/08/2018
I probably had 2 kilos of sweet potato this week. No particular reason, because 1) I like them and 2) the other half is away for work. I have tried to cook them two ways, one by pressure cooker and one by microwave. The pressure cooker method via steaming is quick (5 minutes at high pressure) and the result is good, albeit a bit watery. The sweet potatoes I get in the UK tend to be more watery than the regular potatoes here or sweet potatoes from Asia. So steaming by pressure cooker, although fast, is not going to improve much on the watery texture. Next I tried microwave. The timing varies with sweet potato size and microwave power but generally 3-5 minutes one side, turn the sweet potatoes over, and another 3-5 minutes. Microwave seems to be the way to go for cooking convenience and texture, as it produces drier texture. Although longer than the pressure cooker, still much faster than the conventional methods with stove-top or oven. I think I will stick with microwave for sweet potatoes in the future.
Saturday 25 August 2018
Saturday 18 August 2018
2018 weekly - Week 33
12/08/2018
The heatwave may truly be gone, after two months of relentless high mercury level. We had rain twice this weekend. Good for everyone, not just plants.
I made fragrant chili oil today. I enjoy the sensation from chili but not the numbness it brings to my tongue. Most chili sauce/oil from Chinese grocery stores are too spicy for me to enjoy the chili fragrance. So I made my own today with Gochugaru (korean chili flakes), just mildly spicy but mightily aromatic.
Not-Spicy Chili Oil
- 1 cup of korean coarse chili flakes (gochugaru, go for the mildest version if you have to choose)
- 1/2 tablespoon of ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice
- 1.5 teaspoons of table salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of stock powder (optional)
- 1.5 tablespoons of coarsely ground Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1.5 cup of neutral tasting oil (I used canola)
To stir in towards in the end
- 3 tablespoons of garlic granules
- 2 tablespoons of fried shallots or dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Mix chili flakes, white pepper, 5-spice, salt, sugar and stock powder if using in a bowl and set aside.
In a 14/16-cm round pot, heat the oil with Szechuan peppercorns and minced ginger on medium-low heat. Heat the oil gently so that it brings out the spice aroma without darkening. When the bubbling noise turns low (meaning the ginger moisture almost gone), add in green onions. Stir and make sure you don't burn the green onions. When the splattering noise has quietened again, stir in the chili mixture. Stir a few times to combine and remove from the heat. Mix in garlic granules, fried shallots or dried onion flakes and sesame seeds. Let the mixture cool to body temperature and stir in the sesame oil.
Bottle the chili sauce in sterilized jars. I got two Bonne Maman jars plus a few table spoons extra.
The heatwave may truly be gone, after two months of relentless high mercury level. We had rain twice this weekend. Good for everyone, not just plants.
I made fragrant chili oil today. I enjoy the sensation from chili but not the numbness it brings to my tongue. Most chili sauce/oil from Chinese grocery stores are too spicy for me to enjoy the chili fragrance. So I made my own today with Gochugaru (korean chili flakes), just mildly spicy but mightily aromatic.
Not-Spicy Chili Oil
- 1 cup of korean coarse chili flakes (gochugaru, go for the mildest version if you have to choose)
- 1/2 tablespoon of ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice
- 1.5 teaspoons of table salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of stock powder (optional)
- 1.5 tablespoons of coarsely ground Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1.5 cup of neutral tasting oil (I used canola)
To stir in towards in the end
- 3 tablespoons of garlic granules
- 2 tablespoons of fried shallots or dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Mix chili flakes, white pepper, 5-spice, salt, sugar and stock powder if using in a bowl and set aside.
In a 14/16-cm round pot, heat the oil with Szechuan peppercorns and minced ginger on medium-low heat. Heat the oil gently so that it brings out the spice aroma without darkening. When the bubbling noise turns low (meaning the ginger moisture almost gone), add in green onions. Stir and make sure you don't burn the green onions. When the splattering noise has quietened again, stir in the chili mixture. Stir a few times to combine and remove from the heat. Mix in garlic granules, fried shallots or dried onion flakes and sesame seeds. Let the mixture cool to body temperature and stir in the sesame oil.
Bottle the chili sauce in sterilized jars. I got two Bonne Maman jars plus a few table spoons extra.
Saturday 11 August 2018
2018 weekly - Week 32
05/08/2016
This very famous rice dish from Southeast Asia consists of four components, chicken, broth, rice and dipping condiments. You start with poaching chicken and this step takes care of the rest. Pretty smart (and economical), huh?
Traditionally made with a whole chicken but I used chicken thighs and legs here. Partly because I feel it's easier to gauge the time needed, partly because it's easier to fit in a cooking vessel, partly because I found legs on sale...
Hainanese chicken rice
To poach the chicken
- 8 pieces of chicken thighs or legs
- 10cm-long ginger piece, peeled and cut into strips
- 4 stalks of green onions, cut in halves
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of salt (to taste)
- water (I used 2L)
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil mixed with 1/4 tsp of salt
Place chicken, ginger, green onions, rice wine and salt in a large pot. Pour in freshly boiled water from a kettle to submerge the chicken completely. Bring the pot back to boil and lower the heat to simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken poach for another 30-45 minutes. Do not remove the lid.
Cool the chicken completely in the broth. Remove the chicken. The meat should be tender enough to remove from the bones if wish. Brush the skin with salted sesame oil.
To cook the rice
- 1 tablespoon of oil (or chicken fat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- a thumb size of ginger, minced or grated
- 2 cups of basmati rice (jasmine is traditional), washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
- 2 cups of chicken poaching liquid
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Stir fry the garlic and ginger in oil. Stir in the drained rice. Gently turn the rice a few rounds so that each grain is coated with aromatic oil. Pour in 2 cups of poaching liquid and stir in salt. Bring the pot back to rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 11 minutes with lid on. After 11 minutes, turn the heat off completely. Rest the rice with lid on for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice. Let the cooked rice steam off for 10 more minutes and mix with the sesame oil before serving.
For dipping sauces:
For Green onion and ginger sauce
- 2 tablespoons of grated/finely minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 4 stalks of green onions (or more), finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/3 cup any neutral oil
This is the star sauce for me. If you have time/patience for one sauce, go for this. The ratio of ginger and green onions can be adjusted to your taste.
Put ginger, garlic, green onions and salt in a heat resistant bowl.
Heat oil in a saucepan until hot but not smoking, and carefully pour on top of ginger mixture. When the sizzling stops, stir a couple times and then let it cool.
At this point you can store it in a container in your fridge up to a couple weeks.
For Soy garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Green onion and ginger sauce
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of vinegar
For Chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken poaching broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- a thumb size of ginger, grated
This very famous rice dish from Southeast Asia consists of four components, chicken, broth, rice and dipping condiments. You start with poaching chicken and this step takes care of the rest. Pretty smart (and economical), huh?
Traditionally made with a whole chicken but I used chicken thighs and legs here. Partly because I feel it's easier to gauge the time needed, partly because it's easier to fit in a cooking vessel, partly because I found legs on sale...
Hainanese chicken rice
To poach the chicken
- 8 pieces of chicken thighs or legs
- 10cm-long ginger piece, peeled and cut into strips
- 4 stalks of green onions, cut in halves
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of salt (to taste)
- water (I used 2L)
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil mixed with 1/4 tsp of salt
Place chicken, ginger, green onions, rice wine and salt in a large pot. Pour in freshly boiled water from a kettle to submerge the chicken completely. Bring the pot back to boil and lower the heat to simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken poach for another 30-45 minutes. Do not remove the lid.
Cool the chicken completely in the broth. Remove the chicken. The meat should be tender enough to remove from the bones if wish. Brush the skin with salted sesame oil.
To cook the rice
- 1 tablespoon of oil (or chicken fat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- a thumb size of ginger, minced or grated
- 2 cups of basmati rice (jasmine is traditional), washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
- 2 cups of chicken poaching liquid
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Stir fry the garlic and ginger in oil. Stir in the drained rice. Gently turn the rice a few rounds so that each grain is coated with aromatic oil. Pour in 2 cups of poaching liquid and stir in salt. Bring the pot back to rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 11 minutes with lid on. After 11 minutes, turn the heat off completely. Rest the rice with lid on for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice. Let the cooked rice steam off for 10 more minutes and mix with the sesame oil before serving.
For dipping sauces:
For Green onion and ginger sauce
- 2 tablespoons of grated/finely minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 4 stalks of green onions (or more), finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/3 cup any neutral oil
This is the star sauce for me. If you have time/patience for one sauce, go for this. The ratio of ginger and green onions can be adjusted to your taste.
Put ginger, garlic, green onions and salt in a heat resistant bowl.
Heat oil in a saucepan until hot but not smoking, and carefully pour on top of ginger mixture. When the sizzling stops, stir a couple times and then let it cool.
At this point you can store it in a container in your fridge up to a couple weeks.
For Soy garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Green onion and ginger sauce
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of vinegar
For Chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken poaching broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- a thumb size of ginger, grated
Saturday 4 August 2018
2018 weekly - Week 31
29/07/2018
Made Bacon Jam today. More like a chutney for me (use of vinegar) but hey pretty tasty nonetheless.
I adapted a recipe from Nadiya Hussain. Being a scientific geek I am, I also compared several recipes in a spreadsheet to see the differences. Two things stood out after the comparison. First is the amount of onions. Some uses 3 onions for 1 pound of bacon, while Nadiya uses just one onion per pound of bacon. I decided to use onions as a "bulking" agent, an ingredient to give the body of the final product. Onions do cook down quite a bit so you decide what you prefer. Second thing is the amount of sweetness. Some uses 1/2 cup of sugar/maple syrup for a pound of bacon and others use 1/4 cup. I think this is where personal preference rules again. Start with 1/4 cup and taste half way through of the cooking. If you are happy, then stop. Or, you can always add more.
Bacon Jam
- 180 g smoked pancetta (Sainsbury's Taste the Difference is great)
- 2 small onions, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 60 ml black coffee
- 45 ml maple syrup
- 30 ml vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce (or 1/2 tsp of chili flakes)
- black and white pepper to taste
Mix coffee, maple syrup and vinegar in a jug. Set aside.
Chop the pancetta/bacon into 1-cm strips. Fry the bacon strips on medium heat in a skillet until all fat has rendered and the surface is covered in "bacon foam". Scoop out the bacon strips on to paper towels.
Pour all the fat out except 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Cook the onions until golden brown. Add in minced garlic cloves and cook for a minute. Pour in coffee, maple syrup and vinegar. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits and let the mixture simmer gently until reduced by half.
Stir in Thai sweet chili sauce and drained bacon bits. Stir to combine and cook the mixture on low heat until a jammy consistency is reached. Bottle the mixture in a sterilized jar.
Made Bacon Jam today. More like a chutney for me (use of vinegar) but hey pretty tasty nonetheless.
I adapted a recipe from Nadiya Hussain. Being a scientific geek I am, I also compared several recipes in a spreadsheet to see the differences. Two things stood out after the comparison. First is the amount of onions. Some uses 3 onions for 1 pound of bacon, while Nadiya uses just one onion per pound of bacon. I decided to use onions as a "bulking" agent, an ingredient to give the body of the final product. Onions do cook down quite a bit so you decide what you prefer. Second thing is the amount of sweetness. Some uses 1/2 cup of sugar/maple syrup for a pound of bacon and others use 1/4 cup. I think this is where personal preference rules again. Start with 1/4 cup and taste half way through of the cooking. If you are happy, then stop. Or, you can always add more.
Bacon Jam
- 180 g smoked pancetta (Sainsbury's Taste the Difference is great)
- 2 small onions, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 60 ml black coffee
- 45 ml maple syrup
- 30 ml vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce (or 1/2 tsp of chili flakes)
- black and white pepper to taste
Mix coffee, maple syrup and vinegar in a jug. Set aside.
Chop the pancetta/bacon into 1-cm strips. Fry the bacon strips on medium heat in a skillet until all fat has rendered and the surface is covered in "bacon foam". Scoop out the bacon strips on to paper towels.
Pour all the fat out except 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Cook the onions until golden brown. Add in minced garlic cloves and cook for a minute. Pour in coffee, maple syrup and vinegar. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits and let the mixture simmer gently until reduced by half.
Stir in Thai sweet chili sauce and drained bacon bits. Stir to combine and cook the mixture on low heat until a jammy consistency is reached. Bottle the mixture in a sterilized jar.
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