Red bean (azuki bean) paste is widely used in Chinese and Japanese confectioneries. The ready-made red bean paste sold in the stores usually contains preservatives and is laden with oil and sugar. Hence, it is definitely a healthier choice to make your own as you will be in full control over the ingredients you put in. You can adjust the amount of sugar and oil to your liking, select better quality red...

  Tuesday is our family’s weekly salad day. However, our salad is not just plain, boring fresh vegetables. We also add other ingredients such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits, grains and protein (either animal or plant) to jazz up our bowl of greens, turning it into a more complete, power-packed meal. I have lots of fun making different kind of dressing to create new taste for our salad.   In the course...

  From our local wet markets, I can easily find cheap and fresh corns year-round. So, I always buy some to keep. Before storing in the fridge, I wrap them un-husked with plastic wrap. This helps them to remain fresh for a week or two.   Fresh corns have wonderful natural sweetness. They are also versatile cooking ingredients. Thus, I love to add them to my soup. Previously, I had shared some corn...

  Chicken stock is the secret ubiquitous ingredient that enhances our cooking. It’s the essential base for soups, sauces, stews, stir-fry etc. Homemade chicken stock is far more superior than what you can buy at the store. It is guaranteed to be 100% natural, free of preservative and is nourishing. I use chicken stock in most of my cooking and have started to make my own chicken stock after I realised...

  Mantou is a type of Chinese steamed bun. Unlike baozi, it is normally without filling. It can be eaten plain or sandwiched with stuffed meat. It is also great for dipping into gravy or curry sauce.   Mantou doesn’t have to be the usual plain boring white. It can be colourful as well by adding vegetable puree. I particularly like to use pumpkin puree as it gives the mantou a bright yellow look...

  I love tomatoes for their vibrant colour, flavour and nutrient. I buy tomatoes almost every week from my favourite vegetable seller who sells his own produce from Bukit Tinggi, at the foothill of Genting Highland. Their tomatoes are not only fresh and cheap but also pesticide-free. As you can see from the photos, they even come with green stem attached. How lovely!   Tomatoes are so versatile that...

  Making nut butter from scratch is pretty easy. Once you have learned the basic blending techniques, you can easily whip up any kind of nut butters (such as peanut butter) or mixed nut and seed butters, in small or big batches, as and when you like.   This “so heavenly good” almond chocolate butter is truly the almond version of Nutella, as described by Love and Olive Oil, which I can’t agree...

  I have always wanted to learn how to cook Korean food, and these Korean vegetable pancakes are my very first experience in doing so. These savoury pancakes look a little like omelette but the texture is slightly crispy outside and chewy inside. They are usually served with a dipping sauce.   These pancakes are quick and easy to make. All it takes is to prepare some vegetables of your choice, coat...

  Tamago Boro (also known as egg biscuits, (蛋果子 or 小馒头)) is a very popular snack among kids. You can find them in supermarkets, Japanese specialty stores or local snack shops. My son had never tasted them before. So, he was very excited when he knew that I was going to make them for him.   I have made these Tamago Boro successfully based on a recipe I have adapted and modified from 『君之』的手工烘焙坊....

  In the past, my family and I didn’t quite like cauliflower. No matter how it was cooked, it’s always not as attractive or as tasty as broccoli. But ever since we have tasted these cauliflower tots, cauliflower is no longer a boring vegetable to us.   These cauliflower tots are made basically by mixing cauliflower with cheese, coriander leaves, onion, bread crumbs, egg white and some simple seasonings....