Spitzbuben (Linzer Cookies)

Ingredients:

200g butter

100g powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

100 g ground almonds

200g all purpose flour

Raspberry or strawberry jam for filling

Powdered sugar for garnish

Powdered sugar icing, colored as desired

Decorating icing pen

• Whisk butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract until light and creamy. Fold in the almonds, all purpose flour and knead the cookie dough until well combined, you can use either spatula or your hand. Divide the dough into half, cover each half with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
•  Preheat oven to 175 ˚C, line your baking sheets with parchment papers. 
• Remove one of the dough from refrigerator, On a lightly floured surface roll the dough evenly for about 0,5 cm thick, using any cookie cutter as desired cut out the cookies and place them onto prepared baking sheet about 2 cm apart. If you want a cutout in the center of the cookies, use smaller round cookie cutter to cut out half of the centers of the cookies on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they are lightly brown around the edges.
• Let them cool completely and dust them with powdered sugar. To sandwich the cookies together, spread a thin layer of jam on one side of the cookie ( full side of cookie, not the cutout side). Gently sandwich them together, repeat process for all the cookies. If you want, you can fill the cutout with a little bit more jam. You can decorate them with colored decorating pen however you like. Store them in airtight container. 

Fanny's Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
600g chicken wings
1lt water
2 cloves garlic, bruised
1,5 cm ginger, bruised
Salt and pepper to taste (only a little bit)

Marinade:
2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chicken stock powder
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stem
2 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper (i used about 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper)

•  In a pot, add the chicken, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and 1 litre water. Bring it to boil and reduce heat to low, cook for about 15 minutes. Remove chicken wings from the pot and set aside to cool down for about 10 minutes or so. 
• In a resealable plastic bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken, seal and carefully mix until the wings are evenly coated. Marinate for about an hour in room temperature. 
• Preheat oven to 210 ˚C (oberhitze/ api atas), line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the wings not too close to each other so they brown evenly. Save the remaining marinade to pour over the wings before flipping. Cook for about 13 to 15 minutes on one side, remove from the oven, spoon a little bit of marinade sauce over each wings, flip them and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.   

Note: If you think the remaining marinade is not enough to spoon over each wings, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix it well.

Vanille Kipferl - Crescent Moon Cookies (Kue Putri Salju)

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (250g)
1 pinch of salt
200g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup powdered  sugar (100g)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of ground almonds (100g)
Powdered sugar for rolling

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Add in the butter, mix it well with a spatula or with your hands.
• Add in the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, vanilla sugar, ground almonds and mix just until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200 ˚C, prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment papers.
• Divide the dough into several parts, take one part and refrigerate the rest. Take a teaspoon of dough and shape into ball, roll into small short log form, bend the dough and shape into crescent moon form with pointed end. Repeat to the rest of the dough. 
• Lay the crescent form cookies over prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 cm between cookies. Bake for about 9 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are slightly brown. 
• Remove cookies from the oven, let it cool for about 3 to 5 minutes and then roll carefully the warm cookies in the powdered sugar.

Singaporean Pork Jerky (Dendeng Babi Singapore)

Ingredients:
500g ground pork
2 tbs fish sauce
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp 5 spice powder
1 tbs paprika powder
2 tbs Chinese cooking wine
1 tbs cooking oil
1 tsp black pepper

• In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Preheat oven to 175 ˚C, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Spread the meat onto the baking sheet, lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the meat and press the meat either with a wooden rolling pin or a spoon to form a thickness of 3 mm. 
• Bake for about 30 minutes, flip the meat and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the sides are charred.
• Let it cool completely before cutting the jerky.

Note: Have some left over of these? Try this fried rice with jerky recipe.

The Perfect Cupcake Recipes

Chocolate cupcake recipe and frosting adapted from cupcakeproject.com

Vanilla cupcake recipe and frosting adapted from cupcakeproject.com

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Recipe adapted from cookingwithalia.com

Ingredients:
1 Zucchini (about 250g), grated
2 large eggs
150g granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
160g all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
30g unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup of dark chocolate (min 50% cacao), cut or break into small chunks
Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

• Prepare a 23 x 13 cm or 9 inches loaf pan, lightly butter it and line the pan with a parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 ˚C.
• In a mixing bowl combine eggs and sugar, beat them until pale and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and vegetable oil, mix for about a minute or so just until well combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and sift them over the egg mixture. With your spatula mix them until well combined. And then add the zucchini and chocolate chunks, stir to combine.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, bake it for about 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let it cool before serving. Sift an even layer of powdered sugar over the cake (optional).

Note: If you use dark chocolate with more than 50% cacao content, i suggest to add the amount of sugar between 20 to 30 grams.

Bulgogi (Korean Beef BBQ)

Ingredients:

500g beef loin, thinly cut and don't forget to pound each slice of beef lightly to tenderise it

Cooking oil

1 stalks spring onion for garnish, sliced

1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

For marinade:

1 pear, peeled and cut into pieces

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds 

1/4 tsp chilli powder

3 cloves garlic

1 small onion

2 stalks spring onion

2 tbs honey

1. In a food processor combine all the marinade ingredients and puree until smooth. 
2. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade and the beef. Place in refrigerator and marinate for about 8 hours or overnight. 
3. In a large skillet, preheat 2 tablespoon cooking oil over medium high heat. Add in half of the beef and cook for about 6 minutes or until golden brown, stir constantly in the last few minutes to prevent burning. Repeat with the rest of the beef. To keep the first batch of bulgogi warm, wrap it with aluminium foil. 
4. Garnish with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds, serve it with steamed rice.

Perkedel (Indonesian Potato Patties)

Ingredients:

500g potatoes, cleaned, boiled with skin on and then peeled

2 eggs, seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper, beaten

2 1/2 tbs fried shallots

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chicken stock powder

Salt and pepper

Cooking oil 

• Quartered the potatoes and then mash the potatoes using a mortar and pestle or a potato masher.
• Season the potatoes with ground coriander, chicken stock powder, salt (about 3/4 tsp), pepper and then add in the fried shallots, mix until well combined. 
• In a medium frying pan, preheat oil over medium heat.
• Take about one heaped tablespoon of potato mixture, shape into flat round patty, dip it into the egg mixture, make about 4 to 5 patties and then fry them for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Repeat with remaining mixture. 

Note: Best to fry the patties in batches, because they are better to serve immediately after frying.

Tiramisu (without raw eggs)

Ingredients:

500g mascarpone, at room temperature

400g heavy whipping cream, cooled

1/3 cup of granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

24 to 30 pieces Savoiardi (löffel biscuits)

2 1/2 cups of strong coffee or espresso, let it cool completely

5 coffee liquor (such as Baileys)

Cocoa powder

• Combine coffee and amaretto in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract (or vanille zucker) until soft and well combined.
• Whip the cold cream to stiff peak and then fold the cream into mascarpone mixture, do not overfold just until the cream and mascarpone are incorporated.
• In a 33 x 23 x 5 cm glass baking dish (13 x 9 x 2 inches) or individual glass dessert cups, dip each ladyfinger into coffee mixture (about 2 seconds) and arrange the soaked ladyfingers to the bottom of baking dish, you can break  some of them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom of the baking dish. Spread evenly half of the mascarpone mixture over soaked ladyfingers, dust with cocoa powder and repeat layers one more time, after you dust the last layer with cocoa powder, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours before serving.

Cah Sawi Pedas (Spicy Chinese Cabbage Stir Fry)

Ingredients:
1 Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), cleaned, cut the bottom off and cut the leaves diagonally into about 2 cm pieces
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
1 bird's eye chilli (optional)
1 tomato, cut into 6 pieces
50 ml water
1 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of sugar
2 tbs cooking oil

• Preheat oil over medium high heat, add the garlic and shallot slices, cook until fragrant. 
• Add the chillies, stir for about 1 minute or so and then add the Chinese cabbage, water and chicken stock, cook until the water is boiling, add tomato pieces, cook until the cabbage and tomatoes are tender. Season it with salt, pepper, a dash of sugar, stir to combine. Remove from heat immediately.
• Serve it with steamed rice.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best chocolate chip cookies i've ever made, i found the recipe in youtube recipe wars. A chocolate chip cookies recipe to die for, once you've tried them you'll definitely fall for them. Well happy baking and enjoy!

Ingredients: 
2 cups minus 2 tbs cake flour* ( about 260g minus 2 tbs)
1 2/3 cups bread flour (185g)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (299,5g)
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar (250g)
1 cup granulated sugar (225g)
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
11/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate (566g), i use 50% cacao content
Sea salt for garnish

• For the cake flour*, if you don't own cake flour at home just make it by yourself. For every 1 cup of all purpose flour, you have to take out 2 tablespoon of all purpose flour and replace them with 2 tablespoon of maizena (corn starch). Sift the flour 2 times. 
• Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl, set aside.
• Using a mixer, cream the butter with sugar until light for about 5 minutes. 
• Add in eggs, one at a time. Make sure to mix it well after each addition. Pour in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and then add the flour mixture, mix to combine for about 10 seconds.
• Add in the chocolate pieces and stir to combine.
• Cover the dough, press plastic wrap against dough or put the dough into a zipper bag (don't forget to press air out of the bag). Refrigerate it overnight to 24 hours before baking. The dough might be used in batches and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 180 ˚C, sprinkle lightly sea salt on every cookie dough and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown, remove from oven let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for few minutes before transfer them to cool in a wire rack. 

Note:

• I always make my own cake flour, for this recipe i make 2 cups of cake flour, sift it for 2 times and then take out 2 tablespoon.
• When adding flour mixture you can use your rubber spatula instead of a mixer. 
• I reduced the amount of granulated sugar to 175g and light brown sugar to 200g.
• If you buy chocolate bars then break them into bite size pieces before adding them to the dough.

Ayam Panggang Kalasan (Kalasan Grilled Chicken)

Ingredients:
1kg chicken thighs or breast
3 tbs cooking oil
3 bay leaves
2 stalks of lemon grass, white part only, bruised
2 rounds palm sugar, sliced
300ml coconut water
300ml coconut milk
100 ml water
1 tsp chicken stock powder
2 tbs sweet soy sauce

Spice paste:
8 Shallots
5 cloves garlic
4 candle nuts
1 1/2 tbs ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs cooking oil
salt (about 2 tsp)

• In a food processor, puree all the spice paste ingredients until smooth.
• In a large cooking pot preheat 3 tbs of cooking oil over medium high heat, stir in the puree ingredients and cook it for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the lemon grass, bay leaves, coconut water, coconut milk, water, palm sugar, chicken stock powder, water and sweet soy sauce. Bring it to boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the sauce is reduced, thickened and the chicken is tender but not overcooked. 
• Preheat oven to 200 ˚C (top heat), place a baking rack on aluminium covered baking sheet. Place the chicken on the baking rack, pour a little bit of the remaining sauce over the chicken and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 
• Serve it with steamed rice and sambal ayam kalasan.

Sambal Ayam Kalasan

Ingredients:

3 red chillies

3 red bird's eye chillies

1 tomato

1 round palm sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chicken stock powder

30 ml water

1/2 tsp shrimp paste

2 kaffir lime leaves

3 tbs cooking oil

1 lime 

• In a food processor, puree all the ingredients except kaffir lime leaves, oil and lime until smooth.
• In a small pan preheat 3 tbs cooking oil over medium heat, pour in the puree ingredients, kaffir lime leaves and bring it to boil. Reduce heat to low, cook for about 45 minutes or until the liquid absorbed and the chillies turn into darker colour. Garnish the chillies with lime juice.

California Roll Sushi

For a complete tutorial on how to make California roll sushi check the link below:
All recipe Australia, for the english version.
All recipe Deutschland, for the Deutsch version.

Note: For the rice you can add a splash of rice vinegar or white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Sambal Goreng (Fried ChilIli Sauce)

This kind of chilli sauce is a must have when my mom cooks vegetable soup and corn fritters at home, it gives a good kick to the dishes with its incredible flavour. 

Ingredients:
6 red chillies, thick sliced
2 red bird's eye chillies
3 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
1 candlenut
1 tsp chicken stock powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

• In a food processor combine all the ingredients and half of the vegetable oil. Puree until smooth.
• Preheat the remaining vegetable oil in a small pan over medium heat, add in the puree ingredients and cook until its boiled then turn the heat to low. Cook the chilli for another 45 minutes or until the sauce is thicker and turn into darker colour. 

Bakwan Jagung (Indonesian Corn Fritters)

Ingredients:

Corn kernels (from 2 cobs of corn) 

6 tbs all purpose flour

2 tbs corn starch 

1 egg

1 tsp garlic powder

1 large shallot, minced

2 stalks spring onions, chopped

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp brown sugar

120 ml water

Salt and pepper (about 3/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper)

Vegetable oil for frying 

• In a bowl mix the all purpose flour, corn starch, egg, garlic powder, shallot until well combined. Add the water gradually, if the mixture is too runny then add flour and if its too thick add a little bit of water. Stir in the spring onions, coriander, sugar, salt and pepper, mix it well. Pour the kernels and stir to combine.  
• Preheat oil over medium heat, drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Fry for 3- 4 minutes on each sides or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Mini Apple Cake With Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

For the cake

350g apples, peeled and cut into small cubes 

2 eggs

140g granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

185 ml vegetable oil

245g all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

80g pecan nuts (optional)

Caramel sauce

60g butter

30 ml milk

100g brown sugar

A pinch of salt

• Preheat oven to 180 ˚C (ober- unter hitze), line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
• In a mixing bowl, combine well the flour, salt and baking soda. 
• In a separate mixing bowl whisk the eggs until well combined and then add sugar, vanilla extract.  Stir in the oil gradually, keep whisking until well combined. 
• Stir in the apples and pecan nuts (optional).
• Pour in the flour mixture, with a spatula stir to well combined (do not over stir the batter).
• With an ice cream scoop, fill evenly the muffin cup with the batter.
• Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes or until the mini cakes are brown over the entire surface and when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool.
• For the caramel sauce: In a small sauce pan combine all the sauce ingredients, stir constantly, bring it to boil over medium heat.
• Pour 1 tbs or more of caramel sauce over each mini cakes and they are ready to serve.

Chicken Black Pepper

For Marinade:

300 gr boneless chicken breast fillet
1/2 lime
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sweet soy sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs all purpose flour

Other Ingredients:

2 or 3 big red chillies (seedless chopped) or 1 red paprika
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tbs or more black pepper
2 tbs sweet soy sauce
1 tbs soy sauce

Cooking oil

• Marinate the chicken with lime juice and salt for 5 minutes and then rinse, cut into small cubes.
• Add sweet soy sauce, soy sauce, and flour let it stand for about 15 minutes.
• Deep fry the chicken until golden brown, set aside.
• In the other pan heat 2 tbs oil, stir fry the garlic until fragrant add the onion and, chillies or paprika.
• Add soy sauce, sweet soy sauce & black pepper.
• Add the chicken, stir until well covered with the sauce.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients: 

170g unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

105g all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

21/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (haferflocken)

1 cup pecan

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

• Preheat oven to 177 ˚C and line baking sheet with baking paper.
• Toast the nuts in a baking sheet and bake for about 7 to 9 minutes or until fragrant. Let it cool and then chop the nuts.
• In a mixing bowl beat the butter an sugar with a mixer until creamy about 3 minutes or so. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until combined. In another mixing bowl combine well the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. With a spatula mix the flour mixture to creamed mixture, stir to well combined. Stir in the nuts, oats, raisins and chocolate chips. 
• With a table spoon, take a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and place it to the baking sheet, space the cookies about 4 cm apart and flatten the cookies so they are about 11/4 cm thick. Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Let it cool on the baking sheet and transfer into wire rack to cool completely.

Note: You can make only a batch of oatmeal cookies and keep the rest of the dough covered in the refrigerator for couple of days.

Pork Gyros With Pilaf Rice

Ingredients:
For gyros
500g boneless pork loin, cut into bite size pieces or strips
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs fresh thyme, chopped
3 tbs lemon juice
6 tbs olive oil

For pilaf rice
1 cup of rice, cooked
1 tsp chicken stock powder
2 tbs margarine or butter

Others
Mixed salad
Tzatziki (ready to use)

• In a large bowl, combine the garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil and then add the pork. Marinate for about 2 to 3 hours. 
• For pilaf rice: In a cooking pan, heat 2 tbs of margarine or butter over medium heat. Add the rice and chicken stock powder, stir until well combined. 
• Preheat a grill pan over high heat and then add the marinated pork, cook for about 6 minutes or until golden brown on each side, turn them around frequently. 
• Serve the gyros with pilaf rice, some salad and tzatziki. 

Note: You can  make your own tzatziki dip by mixing grated 1/2 cucumber (water drained), 1 cup of yoghurt (200g), 3 cloves garlic (minced), 1 tsp white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for few hours before serving.

Black Forest Cake ( Schwarzwälder Kirsch Torte)

Recipe from http://www.joyofbaking.com/BlackForestCake.html

This recipe is very easy to follow and came out really good, i preferred to reduce the amount of sugar on the cake to 1/2 cup and frosting to 2 table spoons.

Nasi Goreng Ham (Fried Rice With Ham)

Ingredients:
2 plates of rice
2 tbs cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
1 red chillies
2 slices ham, chopped
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
Salt and pepper
Fried shallots for garnish

In a large cooking pan, preheat 2 tbs cooking oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and spring onions, cook until fragrant and slightly browned. Add the ham and cook until slightly browned. Leave some space on the pan, add the eggs, let it for about a minute and then stir until scrambled. Add the chillies, cook for 2 minutes or so and then add the rice, fish sauce, oyster sauce and frozen peas, stir constantly until well combined. Sprinkle with the fried shallots before serving.

Sugar Cookies

I halved the recipe and had the sugar amounts reduced. Me and my little one love to bake this cookies together and decorate them with colored icing and some sprinkles.

 Recipe adapted from joyofbaking.com

Ingredients:
11/2 cup (195 g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (113,5) unsalted butter, at room temperature
75g granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the royal icing:
1 egg white
1 tbs lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Choice of food coloring

• In a bowl mix the flour with baking soda and salt.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes), add the egg and vanilla extract, beat for 1 minute or until well combined.
• Add the flour and beat until smooth with the mixer. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, put in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hour. 
• Preheat oven to 177 ˚C, line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
• Remove half of the dough from the fridge and let the other half wrapped in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured dough roller, roll the dough to 1 cm thick. With a lightly floured cookie cutter, cut desired shape and place them onto a prepared baking sheet, refrigerate the unbaked cookies on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes. 
• For the royal icing: In a mixing bowl beat the egg white with lemon juice shortly on low speed and add the sifted sugar, beat on low speed until smooth. Add lemon juice if the icing is still too thick for you. Add food coloring, and stir to well combined. Use the icing  
• Bake the cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown a little bit. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
• For the royal icing: In a mixing bowl beat the egg white with lemon juice shortly on low speed and add the sifted sugar, beat on low speed until smooth. Add lemon juice if the icing is still too thick for you. Add food coloring, and stir to well combined. Use immediately, you can add some sprinkles too. Let the icing completely dry before storing.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

400g chicken breast fillet, cut into cubes

11/2 tbs tapioca flour

3 tbs cooking oil

2 red chillies, seeded and cut into square pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, cut into square pieces

100g cashew nuts, toasted

1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine

2 tbs oyster sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs sweet soy sauce

Salt and pepper (salt if needed)

• In a large cooking pan, preheat 2 tbs cooking oil over medium high heat, coat evenly the chicken with tapioca flour and add the chicken into the pan. Stir fry the chicken until golden brown. Set aside.
• In the same cooking pan, add 1 tbs cooking oil, add the onions and garlic, cook until fragrant. Add the chillies, cook for about 2 minutes. Toss the chicken back to the pan, pour in the Chinese cooking wine, let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and then add all the sauce, stir to coat, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, add the nuts and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Serve it with steamed rice.

Baked Tortellini With Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

800g ready to use tortellini

100g heavy cream

Marinara sauce*

200g shredded mozzarella 

1/2 cup parmesan

*For marinara sauce:

2 cans diced tomatoes (800 g)

2 tbs olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup of basil leaves

A dash of sugar 

Salt and pepper

1. For the marinara sauce: In a large cooking pan with lid, preheat 2 tbs olive oil over medium high heat, add the onion and garlic, cook until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes, let it boil and cover the pan, cook for about 15 minutes over medium low heat. Uncover and season it with sugar, salt and pepper, stir to combine. remove from heat and add the basil leaves. 
2. Preheat oven to 180 ˚C.
3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the tortellini for about 2 minutes. Drain.
4. In a baking dish, combine well the marinara sauce, cream, parmesan, 100g of shredded mozzarella. Stir in the tortellini, sprinkle the rest of shredded mozzarella on top, bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown.

Broccoli Cream Soup

Ingredients:
Broccoli florets (from 1 large broccoli)
1 stalk of spring onion, cleaned and chop roughly
4 cups water
2 tbs margarine or butter
1 onion, chopped
3 tbs all purpose flour
3 tsp chicken stock powder
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
A dash of sugar
Shredded cheese (i used Gouda)

• In a cooking pot, add the water and bring it to boil, add broccoli and cook it for about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving all of the water.
• In a food processor or blender, process all the florets and spring onions until fairly smooth, set aside.
• In a cooking pot, melt the margarine or butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes or until glassy. Stir in the flour, cook and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Pour in the reserved water, chicken stock powder, stir well, cook until its boiling . Reduce heat to medium low, add the milk, cream and stir constantly. Add in the processed broccoli, season it with nutmeg, salt, pepper, sugar, let it boil and thickened. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and serve with some bread.

Kwetiaw Goreng Telur Pedas (Stir Fried Spicy Rice Noodle With Egg)

Ingredients:
250g rice noodles, cooked according to the package directions
5 tbs cooking oil
3 cloves garlic
2 shallots
2 red chillies
2 Eggs
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
1 tbs oyster sauce
4 tbs sweet soy sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
Salt and pepper
Fried shallots, melinjo crackers and cucumber pickles for garnish

• In a food processor, puree the garlic, shallots, red chillies, 2 table spoon cooking oil until smooth.
• After the rice noodles cooked, transfer it to a big bowl, mix it with the 4 table spoon sweet soy sauce, and 1 table spoon cooking oil. Stir until well coated. 
• In a large cooking pan,  preheat 2 table spoon cooking oil over medium high heat, add the eggs, cook until scrambled, place it on one side of the pan. On the empty side of the pan pour in puree ingredients and cook it until fragrant. Add the spring onions, stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the rice noodles, soy sauce and oyster sauce, mix it until well combined and then taste it, add salt and pepper. 
• Serve it with cucumber pickles on the side, melinjo crackers or shrimp crackers and sprinkle with the fried shallots.

Indonesian Cucumber Pickles

Ingredients: 
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into small cubes
5 bird's eye chillies
3 tbs white vinegar
1 tsp salt
3 to 4 tsp sugar
6 tbs water

In a bowl mix the vinegar, salt, sugar and water together. Pour in the cubed cucumber and whole chillies, mix it well. Put it in the refrigerator for few hours before serving.

Note: To the pickle you can add a tablespoon of sliced shallots and carrots.

Vanilla Cupcake

This by far the simplest and the best cupcake recipe i've ever tried. I reduced the amount of sugar in this recipe because it's a little too sweet for me, you can find the recipe in http://www.joyofbaking.com/VanillaCupcakes.html. You can decorate the cupcakes however you like, these sweet treats are the best for any kind of celebrations.

Ingredients:

For the cupcake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 

3 eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest from 1 lemon

11/2 cup all purpose flour

11/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

60 ml milk

For the buttercream frosting

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs milk

Choice of food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 175 ˚C, line 12 muffin cups with paper liner.
2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric or a hand mixer beat the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beat well on each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine well the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture and milk in three additions, mix it very well and not too long. 
5. Fill the muffin form evenly, about 3/4 full on each cup. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes and let it completely cool before frosting.
6. For the buttercream frosting: In a mixing bowl with an electric or a hand mixer beat the butter until its creamy and soft. Add the vanilla extract. On low speed add gradually the powdered sugar, beat until well mixed. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Add choice of food coloring and mix it well with your spatula. Decorate the cupcakes as you desired, you can use either a piping bag or icing spatula and top it with edible cupcake decorations.

Nasi Gila

One of Jakarta's popular street food

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 sausages, thin sliced
2 tbs cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sweet soy sauce
1 tbs tomato sauce
1 tsp or more chilli sauce
2 plates steamed rice
Fried shallots

In a cooking pan, preheat 2 table spoon cooking oil over medium  high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, add the sausages and cook until lightly brown, create an empty space on your pan and add the eggs, leave it cook for about 1 minute and then stir until scrambled. Stir everything to combine. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, cook and stir until well combined. Serve over steamed rice, sprinkle with the fried shallots.

Note: You can add sliced meatballs or shredded fried chicken to the ingredients.

Grilled Chicken With Mango Salsa

This is one of my husband favourite dish, it's very easy to make and the flavour is like party in your mouth. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do. 

Ingredients:
500g chicken breast fillet
2 tbs olive oil
21/2 tbs lime juice
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper

For the mango salsa:
1 mango, peeled and diced
3 stalks spring onions, chopped
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
3 tbs lime juice
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
1 bird's eye chilli, chopped (optional)
Cilantro leaves

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lime juice, paprika powder, garlic powder, crushed garlic, salt and pepper, mix it well. Add the chicken into the plastic bag, mix until well coated and marinate it for few hours in the refrigerator. 
2. For the mango salsa: In a bowl combine all the salsa ingredients and mix it well, adjust seasoning if necessary. Put it in a refrigerator for few hours before serving. 
3. In a grill pan, preheat olive oil over medium high heat. Grill the chicken for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
4. Top grilled chicken with mango salsa, serve it immediately. 

Simple Paella

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain rice

3 tbs cooking oil

100g chorizo (Spanish sausage), cut into bite size pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red paprika, chopped
300 g fresh or frozen peeled prawn, thawed
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sweet paprika powder
A pinch of saffron
1 cup frozen green peas
800 ml water
3 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges and chopped cilantro for garnish

1. In a skillet, preheat 1 tbs cooking oil and cook the prawns for about 2 to 3 minutes or until its pink (do not overcook the prawns), set aside.
2. In a large cooking pan with lid, preheat 2 tbs cooking oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook it until glassy, add the chorizo pieces and cook until its golden brown. 
3. Add the garlic, paprika, cook for few minutes and then add the rice, turmeric powder, paprika powder, saffron, mix it well. Pour the water and add the chicken stock powder, stir until well combined and let it boil until most of the liquid is absorbed, put the lid on and turn the heat to low. Let it stand for about 8 minutes or until the rice is cooked, uncover and stir. 
4. Pour the green peas over rice and then lay the prawns, put the lid back on and let it cook for another 5 minutes or until the peas are cooked through. Uncover, season it with salt and pepper, stir until well combined. Serve it with lemon wedges and chopped cilantro.

Soba Shrimp Pad Thai

Recipe from Men's Health Magazine Deutschland 

Ingredients:

200g soba 

300g shrimps

2 tbs peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs peanut butter

1 tbs honey

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs chilli sauce

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

5 tbs water

1 paprika, diced

100 g champignon, sliced

3 stalks spring onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

20g roasted peanuts, crushed

Lime, cut into wedges

• In a bowl combine the garlic, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli sauce and 5 tbs water. Mix it well.
• In a pot, bring water to boil and cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• In a cooking pan, preheat 1 tbs peanut oil over medium heat and cook the shrimps for about 2 to 3 minutes or until its pink. Set aside.
• In the same cooking pan, add 1 tbs peanut oil and sauté the paprika and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Add the spring onion, peanut butter mixture, soba noodles and the shrimps. Stir until well combined and remove from heat.
• Garnish it with roasted peanuts and lime wedges.

Sweet and Sour Fish (Ikan Asam Manis)

Ingredients:

450g white fish fillet, pat dried with paper towel, cut into approximately 2,5 cm squares  

2 tbs all purpose flour 

2 tbs tapioca starch

1 tsp chicken stock powder

Salt and pepper

Cooking oil for deep frying

For Sweet and Sour Sauce:

2 tbs cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, bruised

1 onion, sliced

2 stalks spring onion, diagonally sliced 

1 red chilli, diagonally sliced

4 tbs tomato sauce

2 tbs sugar

1 tsp chicken stock powder

300 ml water

Salt and pepper

1 tsp tapioca starch, mix it with few tbs of water

• In a plate combine the flour, tapioca starch, chicken stock powder, salt and pepper. Preheat the cooking oil over medium high heat. Add the fish fillets into the flour mixture, turn them around until well coated. Deep fry the fish fillets for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown, remove from oil, place them onto absorbent paper for few minutes and transfer them to a serving dish. 
• For the sauce, preheat oil over medium high heat, add the garlic and onions, cook until fragrant. Add the spring onions, chilli and cook them for about 2 minutes, add water, tomato sauce, chicken stock powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Once its boiling add the tapioca mixture, stir until thickened, remove from heat and pour it over the fried fish. Serve it immediately with steamed rice.

Teriyaki Chicken Burger

Ingredients:
400g chicken breast fillet
4 slices pineapple (canned or fresh)
150 ml teriyaki sauce*
1 onion, sliced
4 slices any choice of cheese
Chilli flakes
4 hamburger buns

• In a resealable plastic bag, marinate the chicken breast fillet with teriyaki sauce for an hour or so.
• In a grill pan, grill the pineapple slices for 3 minutes on each side over medium high heat or until golden brown.
• Preheat oven to 160 ˚C
• Remove the chicken from the marinade, grill them for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown over medium high heat. In a saucepan boil the teriyaki marinade and set it aside.
• Toast the burger buns for 1 to 2 minutes in the oven. 
• Briefly grill the onion slices.
• Place on each bun the grilled chicken with 1 table spoon of teriyaki sauce, cheese, pineapple, chilli flakes and onion. Enjoy!

Indonesian Chicken Satay (Sate Ayam)

Ingredients:

500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes 

1 shallots, sliced

1 tbs cooking oil

1/4 cup sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) 

2 tbs peanut sauce*

Wooden skewers, soak skewers in water for few hours to prevent burning

*Peanut sauce:

100g peanut butter

3 shallots

2 cloves garlic

3 - 4 candlenuts 

1 red chillies

2 tbs cooking oil

1 tbs sweet soy sauce

100 ml water (use more if the sauce is too thick for you)

A dash of sugar

Salt to taste

Garnish:

A drizzle of sweet soy sauce

Cucumber pickles 

Fried shallots

Chilli sauce (sambal oelek)

1. For peanut sauce: In a food processor puree the garlic, shallots, cooking oil, candle nuts, red chilli until smooth and sauté it in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant. Stir in the peanut butter, sweet soy sauce and water, mix it well, season it with salt and a dash of sugar.
2. In a bowl, combine the chicken thighs, shallots, cooking oil, sweet soy sauce, peanut sauce and sprinkle it with salt. Marinate it for about 1 hour. 
3. Skewer the chicken meat onto wooden skewers, about 4 to 5 cubes of chicken thighs for each skewer. 
4. Preheat grill pan over medium high heat, drizzle it with coking oil. Grill the chicken satay for 4 minutes on each side or until its golden brown and the meat is cooked through. 
5. Place the chicken satay in a serving dish, pour the peanut sauce over and drizzle it with sweet soy sauce. Serve the chicken satay with steamed rice, pickles, chilli sauce and sprinkle with the fried shallots.

Semur Daging (Indonesian Beef Stew) ala My Mom

Ingredients:
500 g beef stew, cubed
2 tbs cooking oil
4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick
1 red chilli, diagonally sliced
2 bay leaves
1 lt water
50 ml sweet soy sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
4 small potatoes, peeled, cut into half
Salt and pepper to taste

How To Cook:

• Heat the oil in the cooking pot, add the shallots and garlic, cook until fragrant and then add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and chilli, cook it for about 2 minutes.
• Add the meat and brown them at all sides.
• Add the water, sweet soy sauce, soy sauce and simmer for 11/2 hours or more with low heat until the meats are tender. Add some water if necessary. 
• After the meat is tender, add the potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes or until they are done. Don't overcooked the potatoes, just until a fork can get in easily. Season it with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm with steamed rice and crispy fried shallots.