Japanese orange soufflé cheesecake with orange and lime curd

I checked my older posts and saw several cheesecakes in there . Another one wouldn't hurt , right ?! Actually , I've still got about 500 grams of cream cheese so , a coffee-flavored one is in the offing lol 

This is my 3rd soufflé cheesecake in a week . The second one was not for personal consumption . My first attempt was scorched , I've forgotten to cover the top after 25 minutes of baking , I made the full recipe at that time and I was stalking somebody online when I noticed this smell oops ! Oh , it was still edible , the guinea pigs just scraped off some of the scorched top .

Everytime I see a cheesecake , I always say , it has my name on it ! I'm so shameless hee hee ! I've baked several soufflé cheesecakes but haven't had the orange-flavored one until I saw Adeline's perfectly-baked version . So , I told her that I'm gonna bake it asap ! ASAP turns out nearly 2 months pffffftttt ! Hey , I sort of made up for it , baking it twice within a week , 3 if you count the other one ?! 

This 3rd bake , I played around with it a bit , adding cream cheese , not much , but the result is a bit dense compared to the original recipe . I've also amped up the sugar and used vanilla sugar instead . The top is not smooth because I stirred it too much , resulting in more bubbles that I can't get rid off after several not-so gentle drop . Oh well , you can't win them all ! 

Have you baked any calorific treats lately ?! 

Please check original recipe @ Lite Home Bake 

Makes 6 by about 1 1/4-inch cake 

A:
150 grams cream cheese , at room temperature
125 grams UHT whole milk 
60 grams butter , softened 

B:
25 ml orange juice 
zest of 1 small orange 

C:
3 egg yolks
50 grams vanilla sugar or granulated sugar

D:
35 grams cake flour
10 grams tapioca starch

E:
3 egg whites 
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
30 grams sugar

* Over a saucepan with simmering water , melt cream cheese and milk , stirring until mixture is smooth , take pan off heat then add butter , stir until well combined . Strain cream cheese mixture for a smoother texture , let cool . 

* Preheat oven to 150°C . Lightly grease a 6-inch square pan , line bottom and sides with parchment paper , grease those as well .

* When mixture is cool , add in B and C , mix until well combined . Sift D into the mixture in 3 batches , mixing well after each additions . 

* Beat egg whites for few seconds then add in the cream of tartar , beat until frothy . Add in sugar in 2 batches until soft peaks form . 

* Mix egg white mixture in 3 batches to the cream mixture until just combined . Pour mixture into the prepared pan , drop pan several times on the flat surface to remove bubbles from the mixture .

* Bake with water bath ( pour water into the roasting tin and put pan on the oven rack above it ) for 45 to 55 minutes until skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean . Open the door of the oven slightly ajar and leave the cake inside for 30 minutes . Take out cake and let cool on the wire rack completely . Chill in the fridge for a while , if prefer . Serve with curd , if available .

*** This is a small cake and won't brown much esp if you put it in the bottom rack of the oven , so you don't have to cover the top of the pan with foil but keep an eye on it , just in case .

Orange and lime curd ( Please check original recipe @ Fine Cooking , the filling recipe ) 

Makes about 3/4 cup

5 1/2 tablespoon vanilla sugar or granulated sugar

2 teaspoon tapioca starch

2/3 cup orange juice

about 3 tablespoon lime juice

1 large egg yolk 

15 grams salted butter 

* Combine sugar and starch in a saucepan , use a whisk to mix , add orange juice and yolk and mix thoroughly . 

* Put saucepan over medium-high heat , let boil and cook for 3-4 minutes , whisking constantly . Take pan off heat and add in the butter , stir well until well combined . Transfer curd into a heat-proof jar , place a plastic wrap directly on curd ( to prevent film from forming on top ) Let cool completely , chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight before using . 

Mamak mee goreng

The mee goreng that I usually eat is cheap , easy to prepare , my taste buds love it and certainly unhealthy . Whenever I go to market I always give myself a good talking-to not to buy it . So far , I haven't had it for more than 2 weeks . Ha !

Mamak mee goreng is a Malaysian version of stir-fried yellow noodles , literally translated as Uncle's fried noodles . Mamak means uncle but it actually refers to the Indian Muslims who immigrated to Malaysia . This type of noodles is commonly found in hawker centre around Malaysia and Singapore . 

This is Gordon Ramsay's version , it may not be as authentic as the one you can have at some Mamak stalls but it was certainly pretty delicious ! Actually , the taste kinda reminds me of my fave instant mee goreng lol 

I've only made half of the recipe and regretted it *sigh* I should have done the whole kaboodle !

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients , if you cook Asian food from time to time , I'm pretty sure most ingredients can be found in your kitchen . The actual cooking time is quiet fast , less than 15 minutes and you can have this fantastic and hearty one-pot  ( or wok ) meal on your table !  

Recipe adapted from Gordon's Great Escape : Southeast Asia , page 116 

Serve 4 

Sauce :

2 tablespoon chilli sauce
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 
2 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce
2 tablespoon peanut oil 

* Combine all ingredients above into a bowl , mix well and set aside . 

Stir-fry :

2 tablespoon peanut oil 
2 cloves of garlic , peeled and finely minced
2 shallots , peeled and finely sliced
2 chicken breast , skinless and boneless , sliced or cut into bite-sized pieces 
1 potato , boiled , peeled and diced 
2 teaspoon curry powder
50 grams beansprouts or more , if prefer
500 grams fresh yellow noodles
2 squid , cleaned and cut into rings

Garnish :

2 stalk spring onions ,sliced
8 large poached shrimps/prawns , peeled and de-veined
2 red chillies , sliced
1 lime , cut into wedges
2 hard-boiled eggs , cut lengthwise into quarters

*  Heat the oil in a wok or a large pan , over medium-high heat , cook the garlic and shallots for 1 minute . Add in the chicken , potato and curry powder and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until chicken is browned and potato is crispy .

 *  Reduce the heat to medium and add the sauce into the pan and mix thoroughly , let sauce boils and reduce slightly . Add the beansprouts and noodles , stir-fry for 3-4 minutes , until noodles start to  crisp up in some places . Move the noodles at the side of the wok/pan and toss in the squid and continue to cook for a further 1-2 minutes then stir everything together until well combined . 

* Divide noodles into plates/bowls and add in the garnish , serve immediately  .

This post is linked to the bloghop event Cook like a Star , Gordon Ramsay is the featured chef . This event is organized by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids , Yen of Eat your Heart Out and Mich of Eat a Piece of Cake 

                                                                 

Also linked at Cook your Books event , organized by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours


                                                             

Mini cheese sausage bread rolls

I've made these cuties few days ago after more than a month of mooning over them . I've first seen Sonia's gorgeous mini rolls then Jeannie's . Fed up of buying the same bread over and over again , making something that I really want to eat seems a good idea at that time eventhough kneading bread dough in our tiny and stuffy kitchen was just insane ! I was sweating like a pig by the time I finished manhandling the dough but boy , after hours of waiting , it was so worth it ! 

As with most of my baking foray , this one had a minor mishaps , instead of 45 grams of lard , I measured 65 grams ! As I was kneading it into the dough , some of the lard kept leaking out , the dough just can't absorbed it so I scraped some of it straight into the sink . Yeah , good thing that I stayed in the Hell's Kitchen instead of doing it in the dining room lol

Luckily , they turned out well and good . While these minis were still warm , the crust is a bit crispy , either the extra lard or the use of lard instead of butter is the reason . The tangzhong makes these rolls soft for days , okay , a day and a half this time , instead of my usual 3 days coz I can't stop eating it , hey , they're minis, okay ?! hee hee !  

I've used the recipe from Bread Doctor book , it's a sausage twist bread recipe but made mini rolls out of it . I didn't actually make 28 minis since I only had 16 sausages at that time and just found out this morning that I still have 4 sausages lurking inside the freezer ugh ! I've made the remaining dough ( 50 grams each ) into 5 braided rolls .

This is a great recipe if you're new into breadmaking , the dough is very easy to handle and simple enough to make . Just measure each ingredient correctly . Ha !  

Recipe adapted from 65° Bread Doctor by Yvonne Chen , page 67 ( Translation by Fufu ) 

Makes 28 mini rolls ( about 2 1/2-inch each ) 

195 grams bread flour
90 grams cake flour
6 grams instant yeast 
30 grams sugar
12 grams milk powder
6 grams fine sea salt
60 grams egg , lightly beaten
65 grams water
75 grams Tangzhong
45 grams butter , cubed and slightly softened 

28 pieces cheese cocktail sausage
sesame seeds for topping

1 egg , beaten then strain ,  for egg wash

* In a mixing bowl , combine bread flour , cake , flour , yeast , sugar , milk powder and salt , use a whisk to mix everything together . Make a well in the center and add in the beaten egg , water and the Tangzhong , use hand or a wooden spoon to mix everything until it forms a shaggy dough . Turn dough into a work surface , knead for 3-4 minutes , shape dough into a disk and add butter on top , fold and continue to knead for 15 minutes ( depending on how rigorous you're kneading  ) or until dough is elastic and smooth or do the window pane test . Transfer to a lightly greased or floured mixing bowl , cover top with plastic wrap and let proof for an hour ( depending on the warmth of your kitchen ) or until dough tripled in size . 

* After the first proofing , tip dough into the work surface , knead for few seconds and divide dough into 28 pieces ,  form into a small balls , 20 grams each ( my final dough is 570 grams ) , cover and let rest for 10 minutes . Roll each piece of dough into a cigarette-like shape , about 6-inch length then use a rolling pin to flatten it and it should resemble roughly like a cone ( see image at the bottom ) . From the wider side , put sausage on top of the dough and roll it tightly , lightly press the edge to seal , transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap , continue with the rest of the dough . Let rest for another 45 minutes or until double in size . 

* Meanwhile , preheat over to 180°C . Gently brush top  of the rolls with egg wash then sprinkle sesame seeds on top . Bake for 16 minutes or until top is golden brown. 

* Take out from the oven , take photos immediately and start devouring them .  

Orange and ginger caramelized chicken wings

Another savoury dish , guys ! You just can't live by cookies alone , you know lol

Lemongrass is an essential herb in Vietnamese and Thai cooking . It's so versatile and has a great health benefits . As a culinary herb , its citrus-like flavor is a great addition to some Asian dishes . In this dish , it adds a subtle fresh flavor that goes really well with orange and ginger .

This is a Gordon Ramsay recipe , love him or hate him , he sure can cook and create fantastic Asian recipes ! I borrowed his book from the library and of course , I gravitate toward his chicken recipes . Chicken wings are cheap , just needs minimal cooking time and with right amount of seasonings , it'll certainly taste wonderful !

The flavor in this wings is a balance of sweet and spicy ( not hot ) , the caramelized sauce alone is worth making and can be use with fish , pork and beef .

Recipe adapted from Gordon's Great Escape : Southeast Asia , page 55

Serves 4 ( I've made half of the recipe , in green is my minor tweaks ) 

6-8 shallots , peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves , peeled and sliced 
2 lemongrass stalk , trimmed and bashed
5 cm know of fresh ginger , peeled and julienned
zest and juice of 2 oranges
150 grams sugar 
160 ml water
2 tablespoons fish sauce 4 teaspoons
1 kg whole chicken wings 1 pound mid-joint wings
salt and ground black pepper

* Preheat oven to 180°C .

* In a mixing bowl , combine the chicken , salt and black pepper , mix together , set aside . 

* Heat oil in the pan , add shallots , garlic , lemongrass , ginger and orange zest , cook for 2-3 minutes , or until all ingredients have softened , Add the sugar , water , orange juice and fish sauce and stir to dissolve . Cook over medium-high heat or until the mixture has reduced and thickened . This should take about 3-4 minutes and the sauce should start turning syrupy . Remove from heat and transfer into a heat-proof bowl , set aside . 

* Wash the pan and heat it , add in oil when oil is hot , add chicken in batches , cook until both sides turn browned , about 3 minutes . Transfer chicken to an ovenproof dish and pour over the caramel sauce , mixing well to coat . Cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes I cooked mine for 30 minutes , turning the oven temperature to 220 °C after 25 minutes of cooking until golden brown and sticky , halfway through cooking , baste the chicken wings . 

* Remove chicken from the oven , let cool a bit and serve on its own , with beer or with steamed rice . 

This post is linked to the bloghop event Cook like a Star , organized by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids , Yen of Eat your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake . The Chef for the month of August is Gordon Ramsay .


                                                                

Also linked with Cook your Books , hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

                                                                     

Spicy bacon and tuna pasta bake

Looking for some cheap but substantial lunch or dinner fare ?!

Check your pantry and get crackin' !

Tuna and bacon combo in pasta is one of my all-time fave but then who can resist bacon ?!

This pasta is so simple to make and into your mouth  ( ha ! ) in no time at all ! The sauce is creamy and spicy , the corn kernels adds texture and the bacon , the bacon *sigh* nuf said !

I've read an article before about a European chef here in HK that Asians don't really like al dente pasta , I think he's talking about me lol  I almost always cook my pasta for about 12 to 15 minutes and no , the pasta wasn't mushy at all even steaming the leftover dish the next day .

How about you ? Are you one of those crazy Asians who loves her/his pasta a bit softer ?!

Recipe adapted from BBC GoodFood

Serves 4 

250 grams mezze penne or any short pasta
150 grams bacon , cut into 1-inch slices
1 can / 140 grams tuna in spring water 
100 grams ( peeled weight ) shallots , finely chopped
1 clove garlic , minced
1 cup steamed fresh corn kernels 
2/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves 
150 grams evaporated milk 
150 grams UHT whole milk 
1/2 cup hot water or pasta water
75 grams grated cheddar
25 grams butter
25 grams flour
about 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
salt to taste

* Preheat oven to 200°C .

* Boil pasta according to preference .

* In a wok or a large pan , heat oil , add in the shallots , cook for 5 minutes over medium heat , add in the garlic , fry for 1 minute then add in bacon and cook for another 2 minutes . Add in the corn kernels tuna , chilli flakes and half of the cilantro , stir gently , transfer to a plate . In the same pan , wipe or wash it , melt butter then add in the flour , use a whisk to stir it and cook for 1 minute . Gradually add in the 2 milk and water , stirring with a whisk as you pour , remove from heat , stir about 50 grams of the cheese and add back the bacon-tuna mixture , mix well to combine ,  season with salt . 

* Drain pasta and mix in with the sauce , add in the remaining chopped cilantro and mix thoroughly . Transfer to a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese , into the oven and bake until cheese is starting to brown .

This post is linked to the bloghop event Bake-Along organized by Lena of Frozen Wings , Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids . The theme is Baked pasta ,

                                                                      

Spicy and sour chicken noodle soup

It's hot and I hate to eat noodle soup when it's 33°C outside . But I like to make it from time to time for myself during summer ,  not immediately scarfing the soup , for sure ! Come winter , this surprisingly delightful and refreshing soup will be my to-go tummy filler .

Why surprising ?! I first made this last time when somebody here wants a Thai noodle soup for breakfast . I didn't have most of the ingredients for making it and I was just too lazy to go out , it was pretty hot that day to go to the market , even at 8 am ugh ! So I checked the fridge and came up with this easy and quick noodle soup .

Actually it tastes like a bastardized version of creamy tom yum soup that we had last time in one of the Thai restaurant here . I'm still dreaming of that soup until now and I want to try to make it sometime , hopefully , crosses finger lol 

So for those who like noodle soup no matter what the season is , try this deliciously easy and quick dish ! Take a peek in your fridge , maybe most of the ingredients are already lurking there ?!  

Serves 2 

4 cups chicken broth or half broth , half water
1 stalk coriander , stems and root only , set aside the leaves to garnish
1 stalk spring onion , white part only
10 grams ginger , cut in half and lightly smashed
2 teaspoons raw sugar or granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Massaman or red Thai curry paste
3/4 cup coconut milk
about 5 teaspoons lime juice from 1 big lime 
3 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce or to taste
1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken thigh , shredded or prawns/shrimps

200 grams dried rice sticks 

1 fresh chilli . sliced 
1 lime , sliced 
any cooked green veggie 

* In a saucepan , pour in broth and add in the coriander stems and root , spring onion , ginger and raw sugar , let boil , cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes . Add in the curry paste and cook for another 5 minutes . Add in the fish sauce , lime juice and coconut milk , don't cover the saucepan , let boil , and cook for another 5 minutes , adjust taste .

* Meanwhile in another pan , boil water and cooked noodles according to package direction , drain in a colander and rinse briefly , divide into 2 bowls . Discard the solids from the soup base ( coriander , spring onion and ginger ) , add in the chicken pieces , stir and pour over the noodles . Garnish with coriander leaves , sliced chilli and lime . 

* Serve immediately or if you don't like it piping hot , cool the soup a little bit before pouring over the noodles .