TRENDY FOOD HACKS

“Trendy Food Hacks for Every Home Cook”

[ Source: Tina Dawson ]

How many times have you gotten hungry from watching others prepare their meals? Whether you’re surfing an endless feed of D.I.Y how-to-videos on TikTok or watching food shows on Netflix – all types of cooking content have one thing in common: good food. So why limit yourself to just watching them when it’s just as easy to recreate them?

In this roundup, we serve you three food trends we’ve spotted so far in 2020 and tell you how you can whip them up from the comforts of your home kitchen. Get your apron and camera ready; we guarantee you’re going to want to take pictures of these.

MAINS: SOUR & SPICY NOODLES

[ Source: The Woks of Life ]

Food in Singapore is all about the flavour. It’s probably why many are crazy over ‘suan la fen’, otherwise known as sour and spicy noodles – the latest noodle trend that’s got all of us hooked. What’s inside, you ask? Vermicelli noodles. Chilli paste. Vinegar. Chilli oil. Soybeans and some garnishing. Some might find this fiery-red bowl of noodles intimidating but trust us when we say – that it’s got the kick we never knew we needed. Get ready to spice up your afternoon, quite literally, with this addictive recipe!

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Serving size: 1 pax

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 200g sweet potato glass noodles
• 2 tablespoons dried soybeans
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

   

  For the Soup:

• 2 tablespoons black rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons Chinese chilli oil
• 1/2 tablespoons ground Sichuan pepper
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• Salt
• 500 ml chicken stock

   

  For the Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons preserved Sichuan pickle (Zha Cai), chopped
• Coriander, chopped
• Scallions or Garlic sprouts, chopped

Sour & Spicy Noodles Recipe:

1. Soak the soybeans overnight. Drain and pat dry with a cloth or kitchen paper.
2. Pour oil and soybeans into a cold wok (or a frying pan). Fry on medium-low heat until the beans are nicely browned. Drain the excess oil through a sieve. Set aside.
3. Soak the noodles in warm water for about half an hour until it’s soft.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put in the drained noodles and boil until they are cooked.
5. Rinse under tap water for a few seconds, then drain.
6. In two serving bowls, mix all the ingredients for the soup (except the chicken stock).
7. Bring the chicken stock to a boil, then pour into the two bowls.
8. Place well-drained noodles into the bowls and top them off with fried soybeans and preserved Sichuan pickle.
9. Lastly, garnish with coriander, and scallions or garlic sprouts!
10. Grab a pair of chopsticks and get ready to hit snap! 📸

DRINKS: BUBBLE TEA

[ Source: The Forked Spoon ]

The first wave of Singapore’s Circuit Breaker sent a lot of people into bubble tea withdrawal as bubble tea shops weren’t allowed to operate. Naturally, it sent many BBT addicts searching for alternative ways to get their fix – making this sweet treat on their own from home, is one of them! We have to say, though, it isn’t the most straightforward recipe. But seeing your concoction come to live is a wonderful feeling. Plus, you can quickly get ready-made tapioca pearls online these days! Oh and, not to mention bragging rights on Instagram. 😉 Who’s up for the challenge?

Estimated time: 1 hour

Serving size: 4 pax

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 8 bags of black tea or 3 tablespoons of loose-leaf black tea
• 4 cups hot water
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca pearls
• Your choice of milk

• Simple syrup: 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup sugar

   

  Milk Tea with Pearls Recipe:

1. Prepare the tea. Steep the tea bags or leaves with 4 cups of freshly boiled water. Let the tea sit in water until it cools completely.
2. Prepare the simple syrup. Add the water and sugar to a saucepan and quickly stir everything together. Heat the water on medium-high to cook until the water boils and the sugar completely dissolves. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the simple syrup cool before transferring to a jar.
3. Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring about 4 cups of water to boil and add the tapioca pearls. Stir the pearls and wait for them to float to the top. Then, cook them for another 5 minutes. Test a pearl to see if it has reached the desired level of softness. (Cook the pearls for another few minutes if they are still stiff!) Finally, use a slotted spoon to remove the pearls from the hot water, then quickly rinse the pearls with water.
4. Assemble the drinks. Strain your tea into a pitcher. Divide the cooked tapioca pearls into 4 large glasses. Next, add a few ice cubes to each glass. Pour 1 cup of tea into each glass. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk and 1 1/2 tablespoons of simple syrup into each glass, and voila!
5. The million-dollar shot comes when the milk infuses with your tea to create a beautiful milky way, so don’t miss it! 💯

    

    

   DESSERT: BASQUE BURNT CHEESECAKE

   

   [ Source: Drizzle and Dip ]

    

   You might have seen pictures of the famous Basque Burnt Cheesecake making its rounds on social media, but do you know where it all began? The crustless cheesecake is said to have originated in Basque Country (hence the name), Spain! It’s burnt, cracked, and cooked at high heat – which means it’s (almost) impossible to mess up! The end result? A caramelised cheesecake with a creamy filling while matched with warm notes of sugar and caramel from the top and edges of the cake. In other words, unbelievably delicious. Who said you had to visit a restaurant for a slice of this goodness? It’s high time you gave it a go on your own. Don’t forget to tag us in your pictures!

    

   Estimated time: 1 hour 15 minutes

   Serving size: 9” cake (14-20 slices)

    

   Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 kg of cream cheese in room temperature
• 1 ½ cups of sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 500 ml of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoonful of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of cake flour or all-purpose flour

Basque Burnt Cheesecake Recipe:

1. Place a rack in the middle of oven and preheat it to 180C/350F.
2. Line your pan with 2 overlapping sheets of baking paper in your 25-26cm spring form baking tin. Make sure the paper comes at least 5cm above the top of the pan on all sides! Place your pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Be sure to scrape along the booth until it is smooth – with no lumps remaining.
4. Increase the speed to medium and add your eggs one at a time. Beat each egg for 15 seconds before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add cream, salt, and vanilla and beat until combined for approximately 30 seconds.
5. Now turn off the mixer and sift flour evenly over your cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until it has been incorporated, for about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for 10 seconds until your batter is smooth, homogenous, and silky.
6. Pour your batter into the prepared pan. Now bake the cheesecake until it’s deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the centre – for about 1.5 hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes!
7. Thereafter, let it cool slightly (it will fall drastically as it cools), and remove the mold. Then, let it cool completely.
8. Carefully peel away the parchment from the sides of the cheesecake.
9. Using a knife that you have dipped into hot water and wiped dry (if you want a clean edge), slice into wedges and serve at room temperature – and voilà! Your Basque Burnt Cheesecake is done.
10. P.S! You can even make this in advance and store it in your fridge for up to 4 or 5 days!

There you have it, three recipes that taste as good as they look. We hope you have fun trying them out with your loved ones – don’t forget to take pictures, upload them on Instagram, and tag us at @shopfareast!

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