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Almond muachee – snack from the good ol’ days

Almond muachee – snack from the good ol’ days

Here’s a recipe which guest chef No. 1 tried out the other day. Feeling adventurous, he decided to make muachee one afternoon – a very simple glutinous rice cake snack, a streetfood usually sold by the vendors who go around on bicycles. These days, nobody 

Filipino tomato and salted egg salad

Filipino tomato and salted egg salad

This was over the Dumpling Festival season recently, when a friend passed over a big bag of salted egg whites after using up the yolks. I was thinking of various ways to cook with this and then I remembered this dish which I had in a 

Savour True Aussie beef and lamb

Savour True Aussie beef and lamb

Who else is missing dining in at restaurants and being able to enjoy a good piece of steak? During a recent virtual Beef Up Webinar & Tasting, we had a chance to savour Australian beef branded under True Aussie beef, for real as lunch was sent over, and what a lip-smacking meal that turned out to be! (Lamb Bulgogi recipe at the end!)

Eating lean red meat three to four times a week is recommended by nutritionists for a healthy balanced diet. Australian beef, branded under True Aussie beef, fits the bill and is easy and convenient to buy and cook.
Beef has many nutritional benefits, especially for children as red meat is a great source of protein, iron, zinc and other essential nutrients.

True Aussie beef – grass-fed, grain-fed, organic and breed-specific products like Wagyu and Angus – can be enjoyed in different meat cuts and in a variety of cooking styles. Most Australian cattle are raised on open pasture, and Australian grassfed beef is naturally low in fat and cholesterol, while offering a higher level of Omega 3 fatty acids.

The Australian red meat industry has a global reputation as a supplier of clean, safe and natural products, underpinned by its disease-free status and advanced food safety and integrity systems. According to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Managing Director, Jason Strong, Australia’s red meat industry has world-leading production systems and is the custodian for half of Australia’s land mass, playing a vital and sustainable role in feeding Australians and the world.

MLA recently launched “Red Meat, Green Facts” (https://www.redmeatgreenfacts.com.au/), a fast-facts producer pocket guide and online resource providing important information about cattle, sheep and goat production in Australia, with a particular focus on animal welfare, protecting the environment, health and nutrition. MLA invests in food safety research and development (R&D) projects across the value chain to support market access for the Australian red meat industry by enhancing product integrity and traceability from paddock to plate.

Beef plays an important role in the Malaysian diet, especially among Muslim consumers. True Aussie beef imported into Malaysia is halal compliant, adhering to strict standards required for producing halal meat and meat products, with the involvement and expertise of Islamic organisations to supervise and certify the
production processes.

Australia is the second largest beef supplier to Malaysia, with a market share of approximately 12%. It is also the biggest supplier of chilled beef, accounting for almost 90% of the country’s chilled beef imports. True Aussie Beef is widely available in major supermarkets and hypermarkets throughout the country. The different cuts of beef are in convenient and hygienic packs with the True Aussie Beef logo on it.

According to the MLA Global Consumer Tracker Malaysia, 2020, Malaysia has comparatively high per capita beef consumption of about 7kg per person a year, compared to the average of 5.4kg in the region. Australian beef is the favourite meat for many Malaysian families, especially among those with middle to high-income. True Aussie beef is also believed to offer the highest quality steak, with 40% of affluent Malaysians indicating Australian beef would be the first choice for their next beef purchase.

Sanjay Boothalingam, Australian Agriculture Counsellor, Australian High Commission spoke on how Australian beef, lamb and goats are renowned for their quality, safety and halal compliance. He focused on the strength of Australia Malaysia halal red meat trade and the strong regulatory and food safety
framework that underpins this important trade relationship.

Consultant Dietician Mary Easaw spoke on nutrition from beef and lamb, the health qualities of red
meat and how it benefits us.

Chef Victor Chow shared tips on practical beef recipes and demonstrated a few dishes using True Aussie beef. Within minutes, he cooked up a Pan-seared Striploin and Broccoli salad and an Airfried steak salad noicoise style.

Pan-seared striploin and broccoli salad
Airfried steak salad nicoise style

From press release

Lamb Bulgogi

Here’s my version of Korean Lamb Bulgogi using Aussie Lamb syabu syabu pieces. Usually the recipe calls for Asian pear, failing which a red apple is fine too. I didn’t have either so I used a green apple, which worked just as well. It’s used as a natural tenderising agent and you don’t really taste the tartness of the apple itself once it’s cooked. Some recipes calls for the addition of mirin, of which I had none but I always have some Australian white wine at hand, so I splashed some of that in and I found it elevated the taste.

Incidentally, I’ve tried cooking this dish using beef and pork as well, and beef is probably the best bet, unless it’s MLA True Aussie lamb quality, which is then awesome delicious.

Since the lamb bulgogi I had was just a small portion, I had it over a bed of cabbage and julienned carrots. Nice balance of protein and fibre, and a complete meal for the family.

Ingredients

500g True Aussie Lamb, sliced thinly
1/2 green apple (or 1 whole small apple), peeled and coarsely grated
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 full tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
3 tablespoons white wine

Method

Combine apple, wine, soya sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and gochujang. Add in meat and mix well. Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in an iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Fry the meat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, flip the pieces to ensure they are not overcooked. Feel free to add soya sauce, salt and/sugar and black pepper to taste.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions before serving.

lamb bulgogi on a bed of cabbage

Mini seafood quiche in springroll cups

Mini seafood quiche in springroll cups

I still had all this cream in the fridge so decided to change up the normal quiche with a springroll cup as I had run out of pie pastry and was too lazy to make my own. Essentially, this is very similar to the frittata, 

Premium wheat beer Edelweiss arrives in Malaysia

Premium wheat beer Edelweiss arrives in Malaysia

Heineken Malaysia Berhad has added premium wheat beer Edelweiss to its portfolio of award-winning beers and ciders. Born in the Alps and made with all-natural mountain ingredients, Edelweiss is now available across Peninsular Malaysia in bottles, cans and on draught. Easy-to-drink with a refreshing finish 

Nyonya Bian Chee comfort food

Nyonya Bian Chee comfort food

I was running out of ideas on how to cook minced pork, apart from the usual steam pork and black sauce dishes. Then a friend reminded me of this dish from my childhood. What’s with the name? Frankly I have no idea. That’s what my Mum called it, and it is what it is.

My mum used to make this once in a while and I loved the croutons that came with it. I hardly made this when the boys were growing up though, coz making the croutons seemed like too much effort. Now when I think about it, I don’t know why I hesitated as it isn’t all that challenging cooking Bian Chee. But then again, with all this extra MCO time, there ‘s really nothing that falls in the ‘too much work’ category, is there?

I’ve added some peas to the basic recipe for some colour and while Mum used to fry the bread for the croutons, I popped them into the toaster as it’s faster and less oily though not as fragrant. The measurements for the seasonings are just a suggestion as there’s really no right or wrong to the taste, as long as you get a nice balance of flavours. There are a few nyonya dishes which have Worcestershire sauce in them – probably the European influence from the early century when the English colonists were still here – some versions of bian chee don’t bother with this sauce and it still works.

Ingredients

400g minced pork

2 potatoes, cubed

Half a cup of croutons (either fried or toasted)

1 big onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon soya sauce

salt and pepper to taste

dash of sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Method

Fry the garlic and onion lightly for a bit, then add the minced pork and potatoes and peas. Continue frying for 3 minutes or so, and then add about half a cup of water. About 5 to 10 minutes into the cooking, add all the various seasoning.

Stir fry the ensemble for another 10 minutes or so until the water reduces. And that’s it! Scoop everything into a plate and just before serving, garnish with the croutons. You can have Bian Chee to go with rice, or even with French bread.

No bake old school Icebox cake

No bake old school Icebox cake

And so, it’s back to the kitchen again with MCO 3.0. Sigh, is there no end in sight? In times like these, we all need to eat cake! A friend passed me a few boxes of whipped cream so I was thinking what else could 

UNBOX THE EXTRAORDINARY WITH TIGER

UNBOX THE EXTRAORDINARY WITH TIGER

I know some people can eat the same thing day after day, but I get tired of ordering the same food by day 3. To cut the monotony, Tiger Beer, the champion of Asian street food, is adding more pizazz to mealtimes with its Tiger 

Celebrating 200 years of ‘Keep Walking’ spirit

Celebrating 200 years of ‘Keep Walking’ spirit

John Walker & Sons celebrates 200 years of exceptional craft and whiskies with the John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend, honouring the past which began when John Walker first threw open its doors to a small grocery store in Scotland. It was this that set in motion a chain of events that changed the world of Scotch whisky forever.

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend was inspired by one of these breakthrough moments, the release of Old Highland Whisky in the 1860s, that took the brand’s whisky from Scotland to the rest of the world. With more whiskies being sold overseas, the iconic design of the square bottle and uniquely slanted label helped the name stand out against other whiskies.

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend honours the past, with the only image of John Walker’s small grocery store in Kilmarnock on the packaging. It is this heritage that has set the path for the brand that not only pays a nod to its amazing journey, but also raises a glass to the ‘Keep Walking’ Spirit for the next 200 years.

The flavours in this rich and complex blend are inspired by the flavours found in the stock books from the Walker family’s grocery store in the 1860s, and uses whiskies from distilleries which were operating at that time. The blend’s unique strength is similar to our Old Highland Whisky sold during that era.

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is a sensorial journey featuring notes of sweet dried raisins and subtle spice and marzipan, which develop into hints of roasted nuts, icing sugar sweetness and gentle peat, with a soft pepper finish. It celebrates this historic moment in the Johnnie Walker story, which Master Blender Jim Beveridge describes as a “Johnnie Walker whisky for true Johnnie Walker lovers”.

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is available in limited quantities at Johnnie Walker Malaysia’s Bar on Shopee

From press release

Buka Puasa with South-East Asian classics at EQ’s Nipah

Buka Puasa with South-East Asian classics at EQ’s Nipah

To mark the holy month of Ramadan, EQ’s Citarasa Nipah offers a dizzying selection of food, extending the hospitality to include dishes from the neighbouring South-East Asian region too. Executive chef Hafizzul Hashim displayed his prowess at cooking up an amazing range so much so that