Chinese Walnut Cookies 核桃酥(Paleo, Gluten Free)

I thought I have posted these before but I actually have not! Even before we were married, hubby absolutely loves Chinese walnut cookies or 核桃酥. They are buttery, short and melt in your mouth. They are the must have if you visit a bakery in hong kong. 

I have attempted a few “traditional” recipes in the past, but none was even close to what we remember travelling through hong kong and even back home in Malaysia and Singapore. Then randomly, I experimented with walnuts and coconut sugar- BLAM! This was close. I love that these has a melt in your mouth texture, and with a strong walnut taste. They are not as short as the traditional ones, but as I have removed refined ingredients such as icing sugar and butter, I think I can compromise on that. Top it with a few walnuts, and I think it is a good enough cookie to serve for next year Chinese New Year celebration!

 

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Travelling with a Toddler + Chinese Almond Cookies (Paleo, Gluten Free)

During my travels, what I missed most was having the familiarity of my kitchen and ingredients that I know can sit well with our values, principles and food philosophy. I do believe in diversity and regardless of where we are at, our body needs a break from the usual routine. Food included.

I was really impressed with how Asher was with food. He ate pretty much anything and embraced the local food delights. From a typical breakfast of Indian Thosai, to different kuehs -he tried it all. He was a little hit and miss with durian. He didn’t love it but neither did he dislike it. I would just have to keep introducing it to him. 

Another thing that we were most proud about was how well he behaved on the plane. We did not need to use gadgets-though we brought it and prepared it in advanced. We put together a goody bag of new puzzles, books and drawing materials. We had small little toys still wrapped up for him to open up on the plane. The funny thing was, it was the safety card at our seat that generated the most interest. He was literally studying it on each flight. Otherwise, snacks, conversation about the plane, reading, toys and nap time kept us sane. 

We had quite a lot of misses on the toileting side of things on the plane- to be expected. We brought heaps of clothing but on the way back, we conceded defeat and put him in training pants to reduce the pressure on him and us. Lo behold, he went to the loo on the plane when we stopped asking, and kept his pants dry mostly. He asked for the toilet when we landed and that was sufficient till we got home.I don’t blame him. I’m not a fan of air plane loos myself!

Among the few things that Asher pick up during the trip were

1. Eating ice cream
2. He tried some juice
3. Local fruits like Jambu Air, Jackfruit and Dragon fruit
4. Smother in love from his grandparents
5. Sharing food! 
6. Some cookies and chocolate 

Thankfully, I have always kept an open mind that Asher will experience the above some time in his life time. Besides, what’s life without chocolate, cookies and ice cream? Now back at home, Asher continued to eat his usual foods without much complains but was excited about some custard and instant blue berry ice cream (Cue: frozen bananas and blueberries). 

I created these cookies as an adaptation of the Chinese Almond Cookies that my family loved for many years. The original recipe was almond meal and icing sugar. This version uses honey. The glaze is what made the yellow of the cookie stands out. My grandmother loved this and would have asked me to make it over and over again. If I could turn that time, I would gladly make them daily…just for her..

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White and Black Sesame Cookies (Gluten Free, Clean Eating, Paleo) + Chinese Traditions

Every year I say that I will endeavour to write and note recipes BEFORE Chinese New Year. It doesn’t seem to happen these days. Nevertheless, if you are following my Instagram, you would have noticed that despite my lateness- it didn’t mean that I have stopped baking cookies. I did! I just didn’t document it in time!

This year, I felt the immense sense of lost as we approach my grandmother’s 2nd year death anniversary. It is also the 2nd year we are celebrating CNY without her. As we were grieving last year, we hardly thought or did any celebrations. This year though, we attempted to do some spring cleaning, filled our cookie jars with some clean cookies and even attended a lunch with friends. 

As Asher grows, I am reminded by how far removed he is from family and friends. The slight fear that culturally, his knowledge will be even more diluted than ours. While we can, we decided that there will be a few things we would do to at least let him know his roots and where his ancestry is from.

• We attempt to teach him CNY songs and wishes. Still a little early but he did say a sentence or two!
• My parents forwarded some lion dance puppets
• We followed some traditions like having tossed salad, saying greetings to friends and families, and the all important red packets
• We connected to extended family members via face time.
• We dressed him up in red and in new clothes. 
• We took Asher for a hair cut

In time to come we will visit our family and friends in the festive season. 

This was one of the cookies I created for CNY. Hope you will enjoy them.

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Pear and White Fungus Soup (Paleo, Gluten Free)

I consider myself as a modern girl. I like holidays with a decent hot water shower and clean bedding. My kitchen has some pretty modern appliances such as a food processor and a kitchen aid mixer. My clothes are fuss free, girly and basic. 

It may come to you as a surprise that I like to make traditional soups and desserts from time to time too. A few months ago, Asher developed a nasty cough. The kind of cough that keeps him (and us) awake through the night. I was looking for natural and healthy alternatives to help soothe his throat. Manuka or Jarrah Honey helps but I wanted more options.

What would grandma do?

She would brew soups and making sweet soups to nourish our lungs and throats. With that in mind, I went back to my Cantonese Chinese roots and decided to make a traditional drink for us. 

Pear is nourishing and refreshing, bitter and sweet almonds helps to strengthen the lungs and is said to help with coughs. Red dates replenishing blood. White fungus is meant to be the “poor man’s birds nest” with its nourishing properties. 

I love it cold on a hot summer day. Asher? He takes it in whatever state. 

I’m now a modern girl embracing traditional roots. 

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Tang Yuen (Sweet Dumplings) – Almost Paleo

When my parents came over in December, my mother reminded me that it is “Dong Zhi”  or Winter Solace which is where we eat little balls of glutinous dumplings in a sweet soup. Eating it with family signify togetherness. 

As an experiment, I decided to attempt making a gut friendly version by using sweet potato and rice flour instead. I surprised myself with this one because it actually came out good. It was bouncy and has a lovely bite to it. I did a few with stuffed coconut and peanut but I think the dough is better by itself. 

Tradition says that we usually pair Tang yuen with tea. Well, I decided to make a sweet soup using rooboos tea leaves “Red Jasmine” from T2. I boil it up with a few slices of ginger and sweeten it with a touch of coconut sugar. My parents loved it and I hope you will as well. 

As  I write this, I miss my family. This year is the first year we are celebrating Chinese New Year without my grandmother. As per Chinese tradition, we will not be taking part in much celebrations at all, choosing to honour and remember her. 

 

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 Happy Chinese New Year! May this year bring you more happiness and good health!

Water Cress Pork Ribs Soup (Paleo, Chinese, Gluten Free)

I realised that it is very tricky to make Chinese broth soups pretty in photos. For some reason, they just seem to be soup in a bowl (which is what they are of course, but I struggle to make it look presentable). Perhaps I should hunt down some prettier bowls soon or experiment with using different angles! More than often, this becomes a quick shot and then it’s at our dinner table. 

Photography skills aside, I was really excited to find watercress at the Manning Road markets. I have been hunting them for ages and suddenly they appeared along with our favourite salad leaves. I know that watercress is often used in salads, but I cannot resist making a soup that I grew up with.

Watercress is known for it’s superfood qualities. It topped the charts in its’ high vitamins and mineral contents. My grandmother must have known instinctively what was good for us when she was alive because she loved feeding us watercress. It cools our bodies down she says. Very important in the hot days of Singapore. 

 Having some pork ribs in hand, I made a broth with red dates and goji berries. Just before I serve the soup, I brought the liquid to boil and added the vegetables. It’s as easy as that. Asher loves sipping the soup, having some leaves and eating the pork. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that Asher can feel my grandmother’s love as he grows up. 

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Poached Chicken aka Hainanese Chicken Rice

My grandmother used to tell me stories. Her voice often filled with emotions and eyes lit up as she talked through them. Why wouldn’t they be as they were adventures of her own life.

A resilient and resourceful woman, she took on a small business selling mixed vegetables and rice once upon a time. Few years back, she would be a helper/nanny to a young caucasian girl (she cared a lot for her and kept a photo of this girl in her drawer). She recounted climbing up roofs, running away from the police when she worked in an underground casino. She steamed savoury yam cakes and made her own chill sauce so that she could make some money and stay at home to supervise her young children.

As a working mum now, those stories replay in my head with a deeper meaning and feel to it. It’s quite different of course. She was pretty much a single mother to 3 kids and work is… survival. They needed her income. Yet her dedication to her family, and love and plain determination to make it work shone through and spoke to me. Those are values.

In my head, I wondered what would she say if I tell her stories of Asher enjoying day care. Charming the socks of his carers with his smiles, protecting his toys, and participating in painting activities? I wondered what would she say about not cooking a Chinese soup every other day, or at times struggling to keep a house as clean as what she would do. Sometimes, I can hear her in my head, empathising with me. Other times, letting me know how spoilt I really am because she did not have a choice and she managed.

My skills in steaming a whole chicken (and chopping one) are still under development. That was HER signature dish. This time though, I tried poaching a whole chicken and I loved it. Tender, juicy and full of flavour. I wished I could tell her what I have done and listen to her advice on how can I make it better.

Hainanese Chicken Rice 

1 1.6kg free range chicken

few stalks of spring onion. Reserve a a few and tie into a knot.

1 knob of ginger sliced. Reserve 2-3 slices.

4 garlic cloves

salt

sesame oil

drizzle soy sauce or coconut aminos

drizzle of shaoxing chinese cooking wine

 

Method:  Cut some fat off the chicken. Place it aside. Blitzed up spring onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor. Stuff chicken with the mixture. Rub chicken with some salt, oil, wine and drizzle of soy/coconut aminos. Bring a large pot of water (big enough to fit the chicken completely) to boil with the reserved ginger and spring onion. Submerge chicken into the stock. Bring it back to a simmer. Switch off the heat and leave the chicken in the pot for a good 1-1.5 hours.

 

Rice

Chicken fat

1 cup of rice (we use basmati rice but you can use jasmine).

Few slices of ginger

Method: In a cold pan, cook chicken fat till it renders. You can sauté some garlic with it if you like.  Wash rice. Then put the usual amount of water. Place fat and ginger in rice and cook accordingly.

 

Chili sauce 

3 chili padi

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp of grated ginger

1/4 of lemon juice

salt

Method: Put everything in a food processor and blitz it up!

When everything is ready. Chopped up the chicken. Drizzle more sesame oil. Serve with veges, rice and chill.

Ginger Salted Egg Yolk Prawns

Big juicy prawns stared at me at the supermarkets. I recall how every Chinese New Year, grandmother will splurge and get the biggest, sweetest prawns. It represents HA HA (Spoken in Cantonese). Her wish for our new year, is to have lots of laughter and happy moments.

So many days, I whisper Asher’s little achievements to the air or think to myself “Oh she will laugh if she sees Asher saying duck or hammer his little tool box”. I wish I can tell her how my first day went back at work and discuss the Chinese soups I have been making.

I have been reconnecting with my grand auntie. Sometimes a death in the family reminds you of how precious these moments are with the seniors in the family. I love my grand auntie. She is hilarious and full of economy food tips. She has also taken me under her wings a little. Every phone session, I urge Asher to call her “ah tai”- a term reserved for my grandmother but fittingly for my grand auntie as well.

It’s heart warming.

Looking at the prawns, I decided to cook it in a wine broth with salted egg yolks. Something that both my grandmother and grandaunt will approve I think. Salted egg yolks is really expensive over here. $9.60 for 6. Grandmother used to remind me that salted egg yolks is a peasant dish. They preserve these juicy eggs as their ducks laid them. They tastes really sweet and salty with a richness to it so  less is more. With 4 salted egg yolks close to their expiry date, I used 1 in this dish balanced by the ginger and the wine broth.

That way, we can eat smiling.

Ginger Salted Egg Yolk Prawns

700 grams of tiger prawns

1 knob of ginger sliced

1/2 cup of chinese wine (I used huo thiong jiu)

1 salted egg raw

1 bunch of spring onions

1 chili chopped

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic.

In a hot wok, heat oil and brown garlic, ginger and chill. Quickly add the prawns and fry till lightly pink. Simmer with the wine and salted egg yolk. Lastly, toss in the spring onions. Serve quickly.

Radish, Mushroom and Chicken Soup

Every week, usually a Monday or Tuesday, I attempt to make a Chinese soup. As a cantonese, soups are usually part of my meals when I grew up. It was a side dish. But it isn’t a side dish as its significance. It’s where mothers and grandmothers show their love. See, soups are where nourishment begins. The Cantonese believes that soup heals. From strengthening the spleen, to boasting up immunity, there is a soup for it.

It’s easy to see why. In the paleo world, there is an excitement with bone broth. My grandmother used to tell me that soups are one of the most nourishing part of a meal- you get nutrition from the bones, meat and all sorts of vege goodness in it. We have herb soups too but vegetable based soups are more common.

As I stood at a local grocer recently. I stared at the radishes. Somewhere in my memory filed away, we used to have radish soup. The Cantonese believe that radishes are “cooling” and helps with digestion. At home, I placed radishes, dried mushrooms, dried oysters scallops together with some ribs and slow cooked it for 8 hours.

What hubby said though touches my heart.

“You have managed to capture the love of grandma in this soup.”

And that’s enough for me to continue brewing chinese soups for my family.

White Radish, Mushroom and Chicken Soup

1 Chicken Breast

1 (around 200 grams) of peeled and chopped white radish

1 carrot peeled and cubed

handful- around 10 dried shitake mushrooms dehyrdated with hot water

handful of seedless red dates

2 dried scallops

3 dried oysters

Place all in a slow cooker or thermal cooker. Boil and simmer for 8 hours.

Ginger Chicken

Was it just last year that I was in confinement? Where my grandmother was present, fussing around me and Asher? I had a newborn in my arms and surrounded by family bliss?

Ginger Chicken1

Those 12 weeks were the best weeks we ever had as a family.

My dear friend had her baby. She lost her parents years ago and with that means her immediate family are her husband and her newborn daughter. I wanted to do something close to our Cantonese heritage for her. I believe that food heals and the first month post birth requires extra nourishment. Confinement food is comforting. It’s how women in our culture tell each other we care. We cook and bring food. I hope it gives a little taste of home and where she is from.

I re-tweaked this recipe given to me by my late grandmother. As I made this and taste, I smiled. She is here. Her blood running through my veins has perhaps influenced me more than what I thought it has. And there it was, the comfort wasn’t just for my friend. It was for me too.

Ginger Chicken (serves 5-6)

1.5 kgs of chicken drumlets

250 grams knob of ginger

1 cup of ginger wine

1 cup of DOM liquor

1 cup of water

2 tsp of sesame oil

1 generous spoon of minced garlic

50 grams of black fungus re hydrated with water

Directions

Saute garlic with sesame oil till brown. Brown ginger and chicken drumlets. Smell and inhale the ginger. Add all liquid and simmer in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes. Let the pressure go and cool a little. Open the lid and continue to simmer the chicken for another 10-15 minutes, adding the black fungus as well.