Crispy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Ben found a bag of dried chickpeas in the pantry. He decided to make some chickpea snacks that he used to have in his childhood. In the old days in Kuala Lumpur, we had mobile Indian snacks trader who sell peanuts, chickpeas, etc. They used old newspapers or magazine to roll into a cone as the packaging material for the products.

Photo credited to pinosy.com

We called them “kacang puteh man” because when they come to a residential area, they will shout “kacang puteh” to promote their presence. They are often found outside the cinemas, school, wet market, etc.

Ingredients

• 20 ounces dried chickpeas or a large can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Source: this recipe is adapted from itdoesnttastelikechicken.com

Korean Spicy Garlic Fried Chicken (Kkanpunggi)

Ben made this Korean snack food for the family. The recipe is adapted from one of his favourite youtube food blogger, Maangchi.

Our boys simply love this crunchy boneless chicken nugget with a sweet and spicy sauce.

Ingredients

Chicken marinate:

• 3 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into bite size pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 3 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white

Spicy garlic and leek-infused oil:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups thinly shredded leek (1 whole leek)
• 12 garlic cloves, cut into halves
• 2 to 3 tablespoons red chili flakes

Vegetables and seasonings:

• a small bunch of green onions (about 6 to 8), chopped
• 1 large sized onion, chopped
• 10 dried chili peppers

Sweet and sour sauce (combine in a measuring cup, stir and mix well):

• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons water
• 4 to 6 tablespoons syrup (or sugar)
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3 teaspoons potato starch

Oil:

• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• a few drops of sesame oil

Homemade Seremban Siew Bao

Ben made the Seremban Siew Bao from scratch at home because he misses it. The last time he had it was probably six years ago when he went back to Malaysia.

The Siew Bao was a success and Ben was very satisfied. He got the recipe from this youtube. We made some adjustments to the recipe to our preference like:

• darker colour filings
• darker glaze by just using egg yolk
• more liquid in the seasonings to add moisture to the filings

Ingredients

Pork Filing:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 slices ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground pork

Pork Seasoning:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour dissolved in 3/4 cup chicken broth

Water Dough:

• 400g all purpose flour
• 100g butter in room temperature
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 180ml water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Oil Dough:

• 200g all purpose flour
• 140g butter in room temperature

Glazing and Garnishing:

• 2 to 3 egg yolks, beaten
• toasted sesame seeds

Yield: 24

Zucchini Feta Fritters

This is another recipe which utilizes the zucchini donated by the Richmond Sharing Farm.

The Zucchini Feta Fritters are fried to crispy on the outside. It’s a good way to sneak vegetables to fussy kids.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup chopped dill and parsley
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup flour (or more)
• salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Source: this recipe adapted from Cooktoria

Magic 5 Snack Bites

The South Arm Multicultural Community Kitchen made a no-bake snack which will satisfy your sweet craving without guilt.

This Magic 5 Snack Bites are made from wholesome ingredients like almond, dates, cocoa powder and shredded coconut.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw organic almonds
• 1 cup fresh dates (about 8 dates), pitted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• dash of sea salt

This recipe is by Andrea Hood.

Fried Nian Gao

Nian Gao is a Chinese New Year food which symbolizes growth.

I had some leftover nian gao which had harden. So, I fried it up for snack.

I fried the nian gao with some yam (sweet potato) for added texture.

Ingredients

• 1 nian gao (about 400g) cut into slices
• 2 eggs beaten
• 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• pinch of salt
• oil for frying
• optional sweet potato or yam or taro slices which had been steamed

Home Baked Fries

We served the Chicken Strips with some homemade Baked Fries and Sweet Potatoes.

You can substitute sweet potatoes with yam.

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Paprika
• Rosemary
• Chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon of Olive oil (we used grapeseed oil)

Source: South Arm Community Kitchen

Healthy Rice and Spinach Croquettes

I am back in the South Arm Multi Cultural Community Kitchen led by Minoo.

As usual, three recipes were shared in the kitchen. The first recipe was Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale Soup with Chorizo) which I had blogged before.

Minoo’s recipe is very similar with the one which I had blogged here, with the addition of fresh parsley.

The second recipe is a great way of using leftover rice. This healthy Rice and Spinach Croquettes makes great snacks for the lunch box.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter , melted and extra butter to grease muffin pan
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 12 oz thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed to remove excess water
• 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups cooked rice
• salt, pepper and dill to taste
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Source: South Arm Community Kitchen

Garlic and Herb Pita Chips

Michelle served the hearty lentils and black bean soup with some Garlic and Herb Pita Chips.

These tasty pita chips can be made in a matter of minutes. They are good for snacks or serve with soups, salads or serve with hummus or other dips.

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 inch whole-wheat pitas
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (we substituted with oregano and thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Source: Eating Well (January/February 2009)

Honey Roasted Pecans

Michelle made some Honey Roasted Pecans at the South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club, just to use up the pecans in the pantry.

These Honey Roasted Pecans are great for snacking without the excessive salt from store bought one.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw pecans
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more to finish if desired

Source: fixmeasnack.com