Quick and Easy Microwave Sticky Rice

Quick and Easy Microwave Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice is my very first thing to learn how to cook since I was 6 years old. We eat sticky rice every meal everyday. We washed and soaked sweet rice the night before we go to bed,  soaked overnight.We always get up between 4:30-5:30 am. to cook sticky rice. Start with getting the fire ready and drain the rice , pour in to the bamboo steamer or the solid wood steamer and some house uses stainless steel steamer. steam rice for 35-45 minutes and if you have the leftover rice from the day before we will add it on top the new rice 10 minutes before the rice is ready. Then you transfer cooked rice into a big wooden tray and use the wooden spoon turn the rice over let it cool a few minutes before store into bamboo basket or heat safe container. 

Then cook our meals or dishes, everything ready to serve by 7:00 am. for breakfast time. After breakfast, we packed some rice and foods for lunch and go to work on the rice field or other farm. 

I grew up with sticky rice from rice seeds, young plants, harvesting, cooking and eat. So I know my sticky rice very well. 

This is the way I cook my sticky rice here in the USA.

See VDO :

https://youtu.be/Gh67hVGQabg 

Directions

1. Add 3-4 cups of sweet rice in a medium microwave safe bowl, wash and scrub to clean out dust and sometime rice bugs and drain for 3 times.
2. Pour in Hot Water and you need the water cover 2-3 inches above rice.
3. Let it soak in hot water for 1 hour. ( can be 2-3 hours if you forget but 1 hour is enough time)
4. Drain the water out and leave just a little below rice, most of the rice still in the water and some rice float above water (see VDO)
5. Wrap with plastic wrap and Microwave on high for 15 minutes straight, no turning until done.
6. Carefully remove the bowl from microwave, It is very hot.! Remove the plastic wrap out immediately. (Otherwise, it will suck into the rice and make the rice so hard to turn over)
7. Turn over cooked rice with spoon and let the heat out.
8. Enjoy with your favorite foods such as fried/grilled pork, Satay, papaya salad, grilled/fried chicken, or make some dessert like mango sticky rice and etc.

 

 

Store leftover sticky rice in bamboo basket or container,

In Thailand, we store sticky rice outside at room temperature overnight and reheat with the new rice in the next morning.

I always store my leftover sticky rice in the fridge by divide it into one serving portion for easier reheat when I need it.

To reheat : Microwave on high for 35-45 seconds.

Pork Satay with Thai Spices and Almond Sauce (Oven Baked and Peanut Free)

Pork Satay with Thai Spices and Almond Sauce (Oven Baked and Peanut Free)       

As I grew up , little skewers of marinated meat, grilled over coals, are sold as street foods everywhere.  A quick meal or snack when you don’t have time to cook for yourself. Just wait in line and buy some from your favorite seller!! Sweetly fragrant with coconut milk and spices make your mouth watering, they are perfect for barbecue parties serve with sticky rice/steamed rice , I prefer sticky rice as I grew up with it. :D or just serve on their own with drinks, whether grilled indoors or out. Everyone loves and enjoys this authentic food. You may use pork loin or tenderloin, but marbled sirloin or shoulder is more succulent.

Chicken and Seafoods also popular with this delicious and authentic recipe. 

Ingredients 

FOR THE SKEWERS:

• 1 pound pork loin, tenderloin or shoulder, sliced into thin rectangles (1/4 inch x 1 inch x 2 inches; you should have about 24 pieces)
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground white pepper 
• 2 teaspoons curry powder 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ cup coconut milk
• Kale, lettuce leaves , edible flowers, cilantro and basil leaves, for decorate (optional)

FOR THE CUCUMBERS RELISH:

• 1 pound cucumbers, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 small shallots thinly sliced, about 1/4 cup
• 2-3 fresh Thai or red chiles, sliced into rounds

FOR THE ALMOND SAUCE:

• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 2 teaspoons yellow curry paste 
• 1/4 cup almond butter, unsalted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 3 tablespoons tamarind juice
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1 teaspoons fish sauce (just to taste, you may not need) 

PREPARATION/DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the skewers: Put thin sliced pork in a mixing bowl. Add coriander, salt, brown sugar, white pepper, turmeric, cumin, curry powder, coconut milk, Toss with your hands to coat well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Meanwhile, soak 12 bamboo skewers in water.
2. Prepare the cucumbers: Put cucumbers in a mixing bowl. Add vinegar, sugar, shallots and chiles and toss to coat and season with salt. Let stand for 15 minutes. Check seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Prepare the almond sauce:  In a small saucepan, heat  2-3 tablespoons coconut milk on medium heat. Add red curry and yellow curry paste. Stir until well combine. Add almond butter, brown sugar, salt, tamarind juice, and remaining coconut milk. Stir until well combine and bring to a boil then taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce. Thin a bit with coconut milk or water as desired. Turn off the heat and transfer to a sauce bowl.
4. Thread 2 slices of pork onto each bamboo skewer, keeping the meat as flat as possible. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Brush with coconut milk at 6 minutes then bake for 3 minutes and brush with coconut milk and bake for 2-3 minutes more until cook through and slightly browned. Or grill over hot coals, under the broiler or on a stovetop grill pan for 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through and lightly browned. (brush with coconut milk half way both sides) 
5. Transfer to a platter and decorate with edible flowers, kale leaves, lettuce, cilantro or basil leaves(optional). Serve with cucumber relish and almond sauce.
6. Enjoy!! 

QUICK, EASY AND DELICIOUS Aunt Mary's Coconut Yum Yum Cake

Aunt Mary’s Coconut Yum Yum Cake Recipe 

What do you make for a party? Do you buy a cake from grocery store and bring to a party? Have you ever tried to bake a cake at home? Don’t have much time? 

I have a special cake recipe that will make your party easier for the rest of your life. 

This quick, easy and delicious Coconut Yum Yum Cake is the family’s recipe from our beloved aunt, Aunt Mary who was the best cook and she had been baking over 65 years.!! 

I’ve been making this cake for the party all year round for 10 years. Everybody loved it and kept asking for a recipe every time. 

Today I made and share a VDO how to make this cake in a simple rectangle cake pan and will ready to serve the guests in less than 2 hours.

Please watch the entire VDO before you start to make a cake. 

Why wait? Put on your apron and turn on the oven.!!! 

Cake Ingredients 

1 box Classic Yellow Cake Mix

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cool) 

** 1/4 cup warm milk (can microwave for 45 seconds when ready to use) 

Topping Ingredients 

2 cups cold whole milk 

1 (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding and pie filling 

1 (20 oz can) crushed pineapple 

1 (8 oz tub) whipped topping

1 (7 oz bag) sweetened coconut flakes 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Slightly butter the bottom of the cake pan/tray and set aside.
3. Put a parchment paper on baking sheet for easy to transfer. Empty a Classic Yellow cake mix into a sifter and sift once. Sometimes I sifted twice but once is good enough to break down the lumps.
4. Transfer sifted cake mix into a bowl of an electric mixer.
5. Add the eggs, milk, and vegetable oil in the bowl.
6. Fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on low speed for 30 seconds then raise the speed up to high, beat for 3 minutes.
7. Slowly stop the mixer and using spatula to scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl.
8. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes then slowly reduced speed until stop.
9. Transfer the batter into prepared cake pan, tap the pan on the countertop for couple of times to remove some big bubbles. Use a toothpick to remove visible bubbles if needed.
10. Bake the cake immediately in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean.
11. Do not open the oven until 30 minutes of baking time. 
12. Remove the cake from the oven, poke the holes on a cake with chopstick, pour 1/4 cup warm milk around the edges and into the holes, wrap with plastic wrap and let it cool completely on the rack before adding topping about 45 minutes 

Meanwhile, if your whipped topping still frozen , let it thaw on countertop until soften before use.

Once the cake is completely cool

1.  Empty crushed pineapple in a strainer, press down with spoon drain out the juice and set aside. 
2.  Add 2 cups cold milk into a large measuring cup, pour in  instant vanilla pudding mix whisk the pudding and milk together until smooth and start to thicken. Don’t want it too thick it’s harder to pour. Pour the pudding on the cake and spread with spatula until it cover the cake.
3. Add crushed pineapple on top of the pudding in a single layer.
4. Cover with whipped topping cream.
5. Sprinkle sweetened coconut flakes all over whipped cream. I use all of the coconut flakes. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. There it is Quick and Easy Coconut Yum Yum Cake that will change your party’s life forever.!! 
6. Enjoy!!