Recipe: Cute Homemade Panda Tang Yuan

During Winter Solstice Festival this year, we didn't get to make tong yuen as one of the kids was ill. They were upset, as its an annual affair that they enjoy... so I told them not to worry, and we will make them once they get better.

We finally found the time to make them yesterday, and boy we had fun! Very messy but there was definitely lots of laughter and fun in the room. We made mostly white and green balls, as well as some other characters such as panda, snowman, cat and chicken.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year and see you in 2017!






Homemade tong yuen or tang yuan (glutinous rice balls)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
250g glutinous rice flour
200g - 250g water, approx.

Green and black food colouring


For the syrup
1l water
5 pandan leaves, knotted
1 inch gula melaka, approx. 50g (palm sugar or Malacca sugar)
2 inch ginger, sliced and crushed

To garnish
1 pandan leaf, cut into half and into 1 inch long and then knotted

Condiments
100g crushed peanuts
1/4 grated coconut


1. Sift the glutinous rice flour into a large bowl. Gradually add water to form a stiff dough. Place dough on board and knead well for 3-4 minutes.

2. Pinch off a small bit of dough (A) and divide the rest into two (B & C). Add a small drop of food colouring onto dough A, and green colouring onto dough B. Roll each firmly into the size of a marble ball. Place rice balls (Tang yuan) onto a tray.

3. To make the panda, roll a white ball, then flatten with your fingers. Form two ears and stick into the head. Then using the black dough, make the inside of the ear, as well as eyes and nose. Then make two small white dots for the eye whites. 

4. To make the syrup, bring water to boil and add pandan leaves, gula melaka and ginger. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes and remove from heat.

5. Bring half a saucepan of water to a boil. Put in the tong yuen and cook until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in syrup. Place a mini knotted pandan leaf in each bowl as garnish. Serve with grated coconut and crushed peanuts.

For homemade tang yuan using natural food colouring, see this post.

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CNY 2017: Four Points by Sheraton, Puchong

Now that Christmas is over... what's next? Chinese New Year, of course! ;) It's that time of the year when families and friends gather together to usher in the lunar new year.

Welcome the Year of the Rooster with a range of festive offerings at Four Points by Sheraton Puchong, to ensure a new year filled with happiness and prosperity.

From 1 to 26 January 2017, guests can choose from four customised banquet menus to choose from, with prices ranging from RM1,288 nett per table of 10 persons and up to RM1,888 nett per table of 10 persons for a 9-course set menu. Earlier this month, we were invited to sample their Auspicious and Joyous Set, priced at RM1,888 nett per table of 10 persons. (scroll down to the end of the post for the menus)

Start your meal with yee sang, the customary toss or "lo hei" during this auspicious season. There are various toppings to choose from, such as salmon, surf clam, butterfish, jelly fish and tuna or vegetarian options such as dragon fruit, Fuji apple, wild berries and snow pear, served with crispy shredded treasure and blackcurrant plum dressing.

Salmon, butterfish and tuna 3 treasure yee sang

Next to arrive was the Double boiled chicken broth with sea conch and red date, served in a young coconut. Executive Chef Yap tells us that the soup is double boiled for 4 hours, and then left overnight for the flavours to infuse. The soup was comforting, warming and nourishing... loved it!

The chicken has been marinated with garlic powder and then oven-roasted, and served with a foie gras gravy. The chicken was flavorful and juicy. For the CNY menu, Chef Yap sticks to the traditional preparation methods while adding a unique twist, in this case the foie gras sauce.

Oven-roasted garlic flavour infused chicken with foie gras gravy

The pan fried jumbo prawns in premium soy sauce smelt and tasted amazing! The prawns were huge and fresh, definitely worth getting your hands dirty for.

Yet again, my favorite dish of the afternoon was the steamed pearl grouper fillet on fresh bean curd stick and wolfberries. Simple and delicious, the fish was steamed to perfection with that lovely gelatinous skin.

A tasty dish filled with auspicious ingredients - abalone, enoki mushrooms, black moss, bamboo pith and seasonal vegetable.

The fried rice with shrimps, kai lan and conpoy was well-executed and full of wok hei.

Finally for dessert, we had the Double boiled sea bird nest with lotus seeds, red dates and fresh ginseng as well as Deep fried nian gao with sliced yam and sweet potato and Katafi wrapped taro mash balls. As always, the nian gao here is really good, I definitely wouldn't mind a second helping of this.

Other than the CNY Banquet Menus, The Eatery will also be offering a CNY buffet dinner from 3 to 26 January 2017 for RM98 nett per adult or RM49 nett per child (aged 4 to 11 years old). Diners will also get to build their own yee sang and toss to prosperity in this buffet. On 27 January 2017, treat the family to the CNY Eve reunion dinner buffet at RM140 nett per adult or RM70 nett per child. On the first and second day of CNY, there will be a hi-tea buffet at RM98 nett per adult or RM49 nett per child as well as CNY Day Buffet Dinner at RM135 nett per adult or RM67 nett per child. Also, The Eatery's signature yee sang are also available for take-away, from RM70+ so you an toss to prosperity at the comfort of your own home.

CNY Banquet / Set Menus

For further details or reservation, please email eatery.puchong@fourpoints.com or call 03-5891 8888.


Pork-free.


Location: The Eatery, Four Points by Sheraton Puchong, 1201, Tower 3, Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC), Jalan Puteri 1/2, Bandar Puteri, Puchong, 47100 Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-5891 8888

Website: http://www.fourpointspuchong.com/




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Christmas Day Celebration 2016

Hello everybody! Hope you had a great Christmas celebration with your family and loved ones.

First, some updates from Christmas Eve and a gift from The Ritz-Carlton KL ;) Thank you!

Christmas Decor at The Gardens Mall

Hamper from The Ritz-Carlton KL

Santa visited and filled our Christmas tree with presents for the kids :) So, we had two very happy kids on Christmas morning! :)

Started off the day with a cooked breakfast - scrambled eggs, pork and apple sausages, crispy bacon and baked beans.

Then it was time to open their Christmas presents!

Followed by an afternoon snack - cheese platter, Christmas cookies, chocolates, chorizo, goose liver pate and Pandoro.

Our guests arrive, and we play board games and had a Nerf challenge together. And then dinner is served - roast chicken with roast potatoes, broccoli and carrots. Simple and nice! Recipe can be found here.

And then we played some UNO and board games while the adults had a tipple :)

Single malt whisky to end the evening

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Recipe: Scotch lamb rack with baby new potatoes and zucchini salad + Merry Christmas

We saw this beautiful Scotch lamb rack in Sainsbury's and just had to get it to cook at home! The lamb rack is first seared in a hot pan to seal in all the juices, and then transferred to the oven to continue cooking to preferred doneness. Kudos to Hubby who did a good job in cooking it - it was beautifully pink in the centre and absolutely tender.

I made a simple salad from zucchini, edamame and rocket leaves with a honey-balsamic dressing to go with the lamb cutlets. Baby new potatoes, boiled and then seasoned with some salt, pepper and butter also goes well with this dish.

Another great dish to serve during the festive season!

Recipe Vlog can be viewed here. Do subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more cooking videos.

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from BabySumoFamily! Enjoy this joyous period with your family and friends xoxo

Lamb rack with baby new potatoes and salad
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 22-25 minutes
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
450g rack of lamb
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A knob of butter

12 baby new potatoes
1-2 tbsp butter
Dried herbs such as parsley

For the salad
1 small zucchini
A large handful cooked edamame
A large handful rocket leaves

For the dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp honey
Salt

1. Preheat oven to 160C (roast mode).

2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Season the lamb rack with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, place the lamb rack in the pan and sear for 2 minutes each side. Add a knob of butter while cooking.

3. Transfer lamb rack to a oven-proof tray lined with foil and pour over pan juices. Place in oven and cook for 16-18 minutes for pink centre, or 20 minutes per 500g plus another 25 minutes (to serve lamb thoroughly cooked). Remove from oven and rest for 2-3 minutes.

4. Place onto chopping board and cut between the bones using a sharp knife.

5. Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 15-20 minutes. Test with a fork or knife, when ready the knife should go through easily.  Drain and then add butter and season with dried herbs, salt and pepper.

6. For the salad: Use a peeler and peel the zucchini into long thin strips. Place in a bowl with the edamame and rocket leaves. In a small bowl, place the dressing ingredients and then mix well. Pour over the salad just before serving and toss well.

7. To serve, place 3 lamb cutlets on the plate, along with the buttered baby new potatoes, and salad.

Note: In KL, you may get lamb rack in supermarkets such as Bens Independent Grocer, Village Grocer, or Jaya Grocer.

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