Savoury slice - bacon version

For those of you who don't have a sweet tooth, this savoury slice would be a perfect choice for picnic or morning/afternoon tea. And if you are looking for something healthy (e.g., for your six-pack abs), this is not the right place! Go to my salad recipe! ;)

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups self-raising flour
- 0.5 cup grated cheese
- 1 zucchini, grated or diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup spring onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 100g bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil


- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (250ml) milk

- 50g butter, melted

Method: 
1. Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius. Grease slice tin and line base with baking paper.

2.  Heat oil in a fry pan, fry garlic until golden brown. Add bacon, carrot, onion and soy sauce and stir until softened. Whisk milk and egg together, and add melted butter.

3. Sift flour into a large bowl. Add grated cheese, spring onion, zucchini.

 4. Add milk mixture and bacon stir fry. Using a large spoon, gently mix until combined. Pour the mixture into baking tin.

 5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand in pan for a few minutes then let it cool before slicing.

NOTE: It is important that you give bacon a bit of stir fry with garlic and soy sauce. This will give your slice (and the whole house!) a nice smell (too bad if you hate garlic!) while baking.
I hope you enjoy baking (and eating) it as much as I do! :)

Five spices chicken

Five spices chicken

 Ingredients:
- 1kg chicken thigh fillets,
- 1 tbs five spices
- 1 tbs Hoisin sauce (Or 1 tbs sugar)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Optional)
- 3 tbs soy sauce

Method:
- Mix them all together and refrigerate the marinaded chicken for at least 30 minute, or over night.
- Grill them until the chicken cooked through

Grilled chicken

- Slice them up and serve with salad and rice :)

Sliced five spices chicken

Jelly roll

Ingredients:
- 1 packet of lime jelly (You can use any flavor or color you like)
- 125ml coconut cream
- 1 cup boiling water
- 10g gelatine 

Method:
- Dissolve lime jelly in boiling water and refrigerate until cool but not set.

Cold jelly mixture

 
- Line the tray with cling wrap and slightly oil spray it. It will be easy to remove the jelly out of the tray. Pour the jelly liquid into the tray and refrigerate until set (at least about 45mn).

Jelly tray

- Meanwhile, heat up the coconut cream on low heat. Add gelatine and stir until dissolve. Cool down the mixture and pour over the jelly layer. Put it back into the fridge until set.

Jelly and coconut layer

- Remove the jelly very gently from the tray and start to roll it up

Rolled jelly

- Place the roll on the board and slice it with a very sharp and thin knife

Summer salad, Cambodian style

Summer salad, Cambodian style :)

This salad is inspired by a cabbage salad that is quite popular in Cambodia. The fun thing about making salad is you can throw in any vegetable you like. The ingredients below are just what I have in the fridge. I decided to throw them together and add some dressing (which is sweet, sour and a bit spicy). It is perfect for summer and can be served with any meat (e.g., pork, chicken, beef, or seafood) of your choice. To get the sweet and sour flavour, I used orange juice, lemon juice and some shredded Granny Smith (or green) apple.

Ingredients (4 serves):
-  1 cup shredded cabbage
-  1 cup shredded apple
-  1 cup shredded carrot
-  1 cup herbs (mint and coriander)
-  1/2 cup red onion

Shredded cabbage

Shredded carrot

Shredded apple

Fresh mint and coriander

Dressing:
-  3 cloves of garlic, chopped
-  1 red chilli, chopped
-  1 tbs fish sauce
-  1 lemon
- 1/2 orange

Method:
-Dressing: mash garlic and chilli by using a pestle and mortar (It also works fine if you just chop them up all very finely).

- Throw cabbage, apple, carrot and herbs into a salad bowl. Add the garlic and chili paste. And finally, just pour in lemon juice, orange juice and fish sauce. Toss them well or cover the bowl and give it a good shake :)

For my dinner, I add some pan fried tofu.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake (No bake)

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1st layer
- 200g plain chocolate biscuits
- 100g butter, melted
- 200g dark chocolate
- 200g white chocolate
- 500g cream cheese, softened (at room temperature)
- 1/5 cup milk
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 5 tsp gelatine (about 20g)
- 1/5 cup caster sugar (about 100g)
- 300ml thickened cream  
- coco powder and chocolate to dust

Method:
- Grease and line the base and side of a 23cm (base measurement) springform pan.
- Crush biscuits in a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, or with a mortar and pestle. Transfer the crumb to a bowl and mix with melted butter. Place mixture in the prepared pan and press down firmly. Keep in the refrigerator to set.
- Mix gelatine with boiling water and stir until it dissolves.
- Meanwhile, place cream cheese in a bowl, add sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cream and beat until smooth. Add gelatine mixture and stir until combined.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture between 2 bowls
- Melt the dark chocolate (See Notes below on how to melt the chocolate) and add into 1st bowl of cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Keep in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes until set. 
- Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate and add into the 2nd batch of cream cheese and stir to combine. Pour over the dark chocolate layer and smooth the surface. Keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours to set.

White chocolate layer

- Remove the cake out gently and carefully. Grate some chocolate and dust coco powder on top. Enjoy :)

Set cheese cake

Ready to serve

Notes: 
In order to melt the chocolate, you can either:
- Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir through until chocolate metls, OR
- Microwave the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl: 30 secs & stir, 20 secs & stir, 10 secs & stir.

Jelly slice

Jelly slice

Ingredients:
Base
- 200g of biscuits (of your choice)
- 175g of butter, melted
Middle layer
- 1 can of sweet condensed milk (400g)
- 1 sachet of gelatine (about 10 or 12g)
-  1/2 cup of boiling water
Top layer
- 1 sachet of raspberry jelly crystal
- 1 1/2 cups of boiling water

Method:

- Grease (e.g., oil spray or butter) and line a 30cm x 20cm x 3cm tray with baking paper.
- Crush biscuits in a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, or in my case, I use mortar and pestle. Transfer the crumb to a bowl and mix with melted butter. Place mixture in the prepared tray and press down firmly. Keep in the refrigerator.

Biscuit base

- While the tray is in the refrigerator, pour condensed milk into a bowl. Dissolve gelatine in 1/cup of hot water. Combine gelatine with condensed milk and pour over biscuit base. Refrigerate until cool and set (Approximately for 30 minutes).

Condensed milk mixture and biscuit base

- Dissolve jelly in 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Place in the fridge until cool but not set.
- When condensed milk layer is set, pour cold jelly on top of slice and place in the refrigerator until set and firm.

Top layer - raspberry jelly crystal

- Once the slice is set, remove it out gently from the tray and slice it using a very thin and sharp knife.

All set and ready to slice :)

Notes:
 - The fun about making a slice is you can be creative and mix and match any color of your choice. You can also use a round tin and add a few more different color layers :)

Apple & banana muffin

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of wholemeal plain flour
- 1/4 cup of wholemeal self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of caster sugar
- 1/4 cup of coconut flakes

- 2 tbsp of low or no-fat milk
- 100g of fruit flavored (no-fat) yoghurt
- 1 cup of mashed banana
- 1/2 medium apple, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of apple sauce, unsweetened
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 egg, beaten
- oil to spray the muffin pan


Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree C, fan-forced
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, and add coconut flakes
- In another bowl, add egg, yoghurt, milk, vanilla and the fruit, mix them well.
- Mix the 2 combinations together well, and spoon into the oil-sprayed muffin pan
- Bake for 15 to 20minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. :)

Apple Cake

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of self-raising flour (Or 2 cups of plain flour + 2 tsp of baking powder)
- 100g of butter
- 2 medium apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp of cinnamon to sprinkle on top
(Optional: Ice-cream to serve with)

Method:
- Sift the flour and sugar
- Rub in butter until mixture resembles crumbles,
- Peel and chop apples, fold into flour
- Add beaten egg and milk, mix well
- Spoon into a well-greased pan
- Bake between 40 to 50 min (170 c fan-forced)
- Remove, sprinkle with cinnamon
- Serve warm

Acknowledgement: Thank you Roz for this recipe :)

Pumpkin Soup - Lis's style :)

(6 serves)
Ingredients:
- 2tbs of Olive Oil
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1kg peeled and diced pumpkin
- 1Litre of Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
- 1/2 cup of thin cream (125ml)



Preparation:
1. Heat oil and brown garlic and onion. Add spices, and stir for 2 to 3min.
2. Add carrot and potato, stir through. Add pumpkin and stock, bring to boil and simmer for at least 30minutes. Add cream :)

Or Alternative method:
Before adding the cream, allow the soup to cool slightly then blend. Return soup to the pot, stir through cream and reheat gently.

Served warm with bread :)

Note: You don't have to blend it if you like to enjoy chewing on bits and pieces of vegetable :)

Chicken and Lemongrass, Cambodian Style

Ingredients (4 Serves):
- 400g chicken thigh or breast fillet, sliced
- 4 tbsp Lemongrass paste, Cambodian style*
- 1 medium green capsicum, sliced
- 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp chili flake/powder (optional)
- 2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 5 tbsp peanut, crushed
- Rice to serve

Preparation:
- Heat oil in a saucepan, fry garlic until golden brown.
- Add lemongrass paste, chili flakes, stir well and enjoy the smell :)
- Add chicken and the sauces, and stir until the meat is well cooked
- Add capsicum and onion, combine well and add peanut.
- Serve with rice

Note:
* Please see Lemongrass paste recipe

Spicy broccoli and seafood marinara

Ingredients:
- 2 medium broccoli, cut into small florets
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 300g of seafood marinara mix*
- 1 tbsp of finely chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp of finely chopped ginger
- 3 tbsp of Gochujang (Korean chili paste)**
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of fish sauce
- 3 tbsp of cooking oil
- Rice to serve

Preparation:
- Combine the sauce and the chili paste in a small bowl
- Heat the oil the saucepan and fry the garlic and ginger until golden brown, add the seafood mix, carrot slices and 1/3 of the sauce, and stir until half-cooked.
- Add the broccoli and the rest of the sauce, and stir well until combined.
- Serve with rice.

Note:
* Seafood marinara mix is usually a combination of Fish fillet, mussel, squid and prawn
** Vary the amount of chili paste to your favorite and your chili tolerance degree :-)

Stir fried green beans & Chicken

Ingredients:
500g of Green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 pieces
300g of Chicken fillet, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 tbsp of fish sauce
2 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tbsp of Oyster sauce
1 tsp of sugar
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp of cooking oil
Pepper

Rice to serve

Preparation:
- Combine the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl
- Cook the beans in the boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes until just tender, then set aside.
- Put the oil into the saucepan and fry garlic until brown. Add chicken and half of the sauce, and stir until the chicken is well-cooked.
- Add the sliced carrots and stir for 2min over high heat, then add the green beans and the rest of the sauce ,and stir until well-combined.
- Season with pepper and Serve with rice

Sweet sour fish sauce

Ingredient

1/2 Cup of sugar
1 Cups of warm water
1/2 Cup of lemon juice/ vinegar
1/2 Cup of fish sauce
1/4 Cup of chopped garlic
1/3 Cup of crushed roasted peanut (optional)

Preparation
Dissolve the sugar in warm water, then mix the rest of the ingredients together, put the peanut when served. :-)

Cambodian Lemongrass Paste

Lemon Grass paste is very common and popular in most of Cambodian recipes. This is a combination of different roots and the lemongrass. The paste can be combined and cooked in a variety of foods ranging from grilled, stir-fried to Samlor (curry like).

Ingredients:
250g lemongrass, sliced (stems [and leaves])
1/5 cup tumeric, sliced
2/5 cup galangal, sliced
10 kaffir lime leaves
5 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly chopped

Preparation:
Blend them all together and that's it :-)
It can be served a few times. Freeze the paste for longer use.

Tips: Some Cambodians prefer to use only the stems of lemongrass, but I also use its leaves because of its distinctive aroma.

Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp of Ketchup/ tomato sauce
2 tbsp of cider vinegar or white rice vinegar
2.5 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of corn starch solution
1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation

1. Mix the tomato sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to boil, then reduce the heat.
2. Add the cornstarch solution to thicken the mixture.
3. Add the sweet & sour mixture in a small dipping bowl then pour the sesame oil before serving.

Grilled Chicken Wings (5Spices and Curry powder)

Ingredients

1kg of chicken wings
3 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
2 tbsp of Chinese 5 spices powder
2 tbsp of Curry Powder
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt

Preparation

1. Clean and cut the chicken wings into 3 pieces at joints. Marinate the wings with all the ingredients and keep for at least 3hours or overnight in the fridge.

2. Preheat oven to 220 c/200 c Fan-forced. Place the wings on oiled wire rack set inside large shallow baking dish. Roast about 30minutes or until the chicken wing is well browned and cooked through.

Variations: Chicken drumstick, chicken Marylands, Pork.