Soya and blueberry cake

I have a soya bean milk-making machine, which is really handy to make fresh soya bean milk. I always want to find an easy way to use the soya residue to make something delicious. After a few attempts, this is a good result.

1. One serving of soya paste from the machine after making soya bean milk, keep in the fridge after cooled down.

2. Mix cold soya paste with 40gm flour, 1 packet of baking powder, 40gm brown sugar, 40gm butter, 2 eggs and a handful of dry or fresh blueberry (or any dry fruit) into a thick paste, but not a dough, adjust with milk if necessary.

 3. Pour into a baking tin lined with baking paper, bake at 160˚C until dry and firm when pressed, around 45-60 minutes. 

Beetroot 'tartare'

I got this idea from Chef Vongerichten's cookbook, indeed minced beetroot looks like beef tartare, and actually beetroot goes well with strong seasonings.

1. In a blender, mince a few peeled beetroot with garlic and ginger.

2. In a pan, cook beetroot mince with soya sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard sauce, brown sugar, cumin and cinnamon until the raw taste of garlic is gone. 

Smoke mackerel, zucchini and mango salad

1. Use 'julienne' peeler to shred zucchini into thin long strips, mix with a big pinch of salt in a colander, leave to soften and let water drain out, around 15 minutes.

2. Cut mango into strips, mix with zucchini, stir in sour cream or thick yogurt, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Kiwi, carrot, celery salad

In hot summer, I like to make cold vegetable dishes, adding fruit into a savory dish adds a touch of natural sweetness and sourness.

1. Use a peeler to peel carrots into thin pieces, cut celery into thin strips, add a big pinch of salt and mix well, leave to soften, around 15 minutes.

2. Peel and cut kiwis into slices, mix with softened carrot and celery, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Kiwi, fennel and mint salad

1. Cut fennels into thin strips, add a pinch of salt and mix well, leave to soften, around 15 minutes.

2. Peel and cut kiwis into slices, cut a handful of mint leaves finely, mix with softened fennel, stir in sour cream or thick yogurt, season to taste with salt, and pepper.

Resident peasant

This is a male peasant that is patrolling the west side of our land everyday, and makes a unique 'kawk kawk' noise. Suppose to be calling for a girlfriend, I wish one day I will see him bringing a whole family along. 

Dan Dan vegetable 'noodle'

A variation of famous Sichuan Dan Dan noodle dish, same ingredients except using zucchini as 'noodle'.

1. Use 'julienne' peeler to shred zucchini into thin long strips, mix with a big pinch of salt in a colander, leave to drain and soften, around 15 minutes.

2. Cook minced beef with chili bean paste, liqueur, soya sauce, brown sugar into a thick sauce, mix in freshly grounded Sichuan pepper.

3. Place zucchini 'noodle' in a bowl, add a ladle beef mixture, sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

Kamquat avocado salad

A simple and filling side dish, kamquat gives texture and sweetness to otherwise plain and bland avocado. 

Cut kamquat skin and white pith off, mix with avocado cut into cubes, season with lemon, salt and pepper. 

Lamb soya bean stew

1. Soak soya bean overnight.

2. Boil lamb belly or collar ribs in a lot of water with soaked soya bean, half a cup of liqueur, a few bay leaves, garlic, cloves and salt. Cook until water is reduced, lamb and bean are soft.

3. Add in tomato sauce and reduce further. 

Re-fried pork belly with fennel

The left behind plain boiled pork is stir-fried with salt and soya sauce until light brown, then add in sliced fennel, mix well and serve. 

Plain boiled pork belly

Sometimes I like to taste the real flavor of meat, not cooked in a lot of sauce. This is a whole piece of pork belly cooked in a broth (herbs, garlic and ginger), just below simmering point for around 45 minutes. Sliced thinly, serve with mustard, honey, pine nut and salt sauce on the side.  

Cherry chocolate cake

1. Mix together 100gm self-raising flour, 40gm sugar, 30gm butter, 1 banana and 2 eggs.

2. Place cherry jam into the bottom of a baking dish, spoon batter on top evenly.

3. Bake at 160˚C or steam with a lid on until cake is risen and firm, around 45 minutes. Serve with yogurt or ice cream.

Cold tomato soup with zucchini 'noodle'

1. Use a 'julienne' peeler to grate zucchini into fine long strips, mix with salt in a colander, leave it soften for 15 minutes.  

2. Cook tomato soup with cut up pieces of dry apricot, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon juice, sugar, chili to your taste, cool down.

3. Cut a handful of mint finely, mix into cold tomato soup with zucchini 'noodle'.

Kamquat goat cheese and smoke salmon salad

1. Blanch fresh broad beans or sweet pea, set aside to cool down.

2. Cut skin with white part off kamquat, then cut into thinner pieces. Cut goat cheese into bite size cubes, mix with kamquat.

3. Slice smoke salmon into strips.

4. In a glass, place cooked broad bean or sweet pea at the bottom, then strips of smoke salmon, followed by kamquat and goat cheese mixture.

Growing pineapple

A friend of mine in Hong Kong has tried growing pineapple in her roof top garden, in a big plant pot, and she got one in a year's time! All she did was cut off the green top with a bit of the flesh and bury the bottom in soil.

I find it fascinating to be able to watch how a pineapple grows, so I have planted some in my garden too.

Farina farm, Porec, Croatia

This young couple with a son manages a berry farm in the outskirt of Porec. She grows blackberry, raspberry, strawberry and now test growing goji berry. The berries are sold in local markets, or people  come and pick in the farm.

Her husband is an electrician and works from 2 to 9 pm. He looks after 90 beehives, transporting them to flowering locations. The farm produces wonderfully thick Acacia, Blackberry & Raspberry honey. 

He is also a champion in pigeon racing competitions, he trains the birds twice daily and breeds the high performance birds. Selling young birds and the money won in races finance his interest. 

fish dishes in Rovinj

A typical home cooked meal in Rovinj, simply cooked, steam, bake or pan fry.

Salted for 6 hours, then steamed mullet, served cold Chiu Chau style

 Pan fried sea bream

Pan fried sole - surprisingly gelatinous texture, a bit like eel

Turbot, my favorite fish, baked at 220˚C for 10 minutes, rest for 10 minutes (around 1kg)

Adriatic sardine is not oily, the best way is to fry until crispy, and so can eat everything, flesh and bone