red spinach in miso

I love green spinach so much
and I tried cooking the red ones just like the green
but it didn't turns out as tasty



so I decided to put white miso paste in it
and let me tell you
I will not have red spinach any other way :)

so..so..easy to make!


just 3 ingredients to a wholesome dish!
~ anchovies..miso paste..spinach



cooking veggies can never be any easier or tastier



lets begin

in a small bowl soak 10 anchovies in water and set aside

separate the spinach leaves from the stem and cut the stem into 2" length

wash spinach separately and thoroughly clean and set aside

clean the anchovies ~ remove the head and intestine and rinse well

in a medium-sized pan pour in 1 cup of water and toss in the anchovies

let it boil over medium fire for 15 mins

then add in 1 tsp salt followed by the stems of the spinach

after 1 min add in the spinach leaves

cover the pot and let it cook for 3 mins

by now there is so much red liquid in the pan

toss in 1 small packet of white miso paste into the pan and stir thoroughly well

allow to boil for 1 min

taste for saltiness and off the fire

voila !!

the red color becomes deeper and intense by now

plus the awesome taste :)

serve hot with white rice and fried fish

uuummmpphh

purple cabbage salad

I have always been skeptical about purple cabbage

and I really don't know why

don't you? 

but I bought it anyway

it took me a while to come up with the courage to eat it!

LOL .. ^-^

this is how it end up on my table

and let me tell you..

it is the most delicious salad ever!

here's how I make my salad

wash thoroughly a small purple cabbage and cut into quarters

use only one quarter and keep the rest in the fridge

remove the hard white core in the middle 

slice the cabbage as thinly as possible

place them in a salad bowl and keep aside

wash thoroughly a sweet Sunkist orange and cut out the skin

remove the orange's white skin as well

cut up the orange into small bite sizes and toss in the salad bowl

slice thinly 10 mint leaves and add in the bowl

sprinkle Himalayan rock salt all over the salad

pour 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil all over the salad

lastly squeeze half a lemon all over

mix the salad well

voila !

all I can say

this purple cabbage is here to stay on my dining table :)
and the mint leaves add so much natural sweetness to the taste!

raw onion dressing

I'm so much into raw onions now

be it in salads or on its own

for health reasons

obviously :)

I've come up with this concoction

very easy to make

and what a treat!

chop 1 red onion and 8 bird's eye chilies 

put in a bowl and pour 1 tsp apple cider vinegar + 3 tsp soy sauce over it

add a pinch of salt and mix well

serve with crispy fried fish

and hot white rice

ppheww!!

I was feeling under the weather of late

and this really brought the sweat out of me

^-^

masak lemak nenas ikan kurau

simply exquisite!

the sweetness of pineapple mixed with a tinge of chili
boiled in coconut milk and
salted with sun-dried salted "kurau" fish


ooooooooh
I'm telling yea
just writing about this makes my mouth waters
 if you are a big fan of pineapple too
you will know what I mean

totally my favorite dish :)

simple enough to cook :)

in a pestle and mortar, pound these ingredients :

3 shallots + 2 garlic + slice of ginger + 1" fresh turmeric + 1 cm of "belacan"

transfer the above paste into a medium sized pot and add in 1 cup of water

toss in 1 crushed lemongrass + small piece of salted "kurau" fish + 1 tsp chilli boh

put the pot on the stove over medium fire and allow to boil

meanwhile soak 1 "asam keping" in a bowl and cut a sweet and ripe pineapple into small slices

when the pot started to boil toss in the "asam keping" + cut pineapple slices

allow to boil for a few minutes

then add in 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp sugar into the boiling mixture

taste for saltiness, sweetness and sourness

if need be add extra salt or sugar according to your likeness

then add in 200ml thick coconut milk and let it boil

lastly add in fresh "kurau" fish and boil for 1 min each side

"kurau" cooks the minute it gets into the boiling gravy

so take care not to break its flesh

taste the gravy again and off the fire

serve with white rice and sambal belacan

phew!!  

my mouth waters again now :D

tips for fishy smell

wish I had known of this outstanding tips since 

I was born into this world

... hahaha!!!

a few drops of apple cider

 is all you'll ever need to remove that 

unpleasant fishy smell in your cooking!

I tried it today

and was so pleased with the result

  

mix 1 tsp of 

Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar + 2 cups of water

and thoroughly rinse the fish

smell the fish to check if there's anymore odor left

rinse fish again in cold water

voila!

works like magic! :)

scrambled eggs

a delicious and scrumptious breakfast

so easy to make

5 mins is all it takes :)

scrambled eggs

on a stove put a medium pan on low fire

in a bowl beat 2 eggs + 1 Tbsp milk + pinch of salt until combined

toss in 1 tsp butter into the pan and allow it to sizzles all over

pour the egg mixture into the hot pan

using a wooden spatula stir the mixture from the edges of the pan into the middle

keep stirring from all sides of the pan for 1 min

by now the eggs look glossy and silky

off the fire and serve with fries

garnish with black pepper

a wholesome goodness!

you can also serve this with bread or
whatever you fancy

buon appetito! :)

simple omelette with fries

this is a very quick and easy cooking

takes only 15 mins or less and the best part is

it is so good!!

omelette 

is my favorite breakfast now

and it goes well with french fries

simple omelette

in a small bowl crack 2 eggs + 2 Tsp milk + pinch of salt

whisk all ingredients with a fork for few seconds or until combined

heat a medium pan on low heat and toss in 1 Tbsp of butter and let it sizzles completely

pour in the egg mixture into the pan until it spread all over the pan

let the egg mixture cook until firm with some raw eggs remaining on top

using your wooden spatula ease the edges of the omelette

fold over the omelette into half

leave it for a minute before sliding it out onto a plate

quick french fries

using the same pan, pour in 3 Tbsp cooking oil and allow it to heat-up on low fire

meanwhile skin 1 potato and slice it lengthwise into thin strips

using kitchen towel wipe the potato strips dry

fry the potato strips for 2-3 mins on each side

remove the fries from the pan and drain it

sprinkle sea salt all over the fries

serve hot with ketchup

enjoy! ^-^

tips on potato : choose easy to cook ones like russet potatoes

agar-agar santan gula melaka

a very light and refreshing delight
so smooth and satisfying as it goes down the throat that
you'd never notice when it is all gone!

"agar-agar santan gula melaka"
as it is locally known
is really jelly cooked in brown sugar and coconut milk

check out the making of it! :)



in a medium pot soak 20g of "agar-agar" strips in cold water for 20 mins and rinse well

fill enough water in the pot just to cover the "agar-agar"

let it boil over medium fire until the "agar-agar" is fully dissolved

meanwhile break 1 block of "gula melaka" into small pieces

using a wooden spoon stir the mixture and ensure "agar-agar" have melted completely

 then add in the gula melaka and allow it to dissolve completely

then add in 1 rock sugar and let it dissolve completely

taste for sweetness, add more sugar if need be

mix 200ml of thick coconut milk with a pinch of salt and
pour into the pot and stir well

the mixture will become all white now

allow the mixture to boil once, stir well and off the fire

pour mixture into a clear rectangular 4-Quart pyrex dish

as it cools down the mixture will separate into 2 layers

the coconut mix will gather to the top and form a cream colored layer

while the bottom layer is dark brown

allow it to cool completely

chill in the refrigerator before cutting into diamond/square shapes

serve cold

voila!



truly this is my favorite dessert anytime any day ;)

tips for storing fresh coriander

hello there!

it feels good to be back here in my blog :)

I did quite a bit of traveling of late...and I must say it was a good break

made new friends along the way and the best part is

good food!! :)

my travel took me to the mediterranean part of the world

truly awesome cuisine of east meets west

learnt great food tips too! 

which I will share... 

from time to time as I go along

here comes tips #1

Storing Coriander

I don't know about you 

but I always end up with soggy coriander

by the time I need to put them in my recipe

tried many ways...you name it with zero success:

cutting off roots before 

putting it in a glass of water and left at room temperature on the kitchen counter

or 

wrapping in kitchen paper 

before storing them in a ziploc and stacked in crisper part of the fridge

or

wrapping it in just old newspaper and kept in the veggie crisper

If you have tried any of the above ways and failed 

try this way then:

in a food processor

blend for a few seconds

2 Tbsp olive oil + 1 clove garlic + 100g fresh coriander + pinch of salt

see if the coriander has been cut enough into smaller pieces

use your judgement  

stop when the desired size is achieved

add in more olive oil if the food processor is not moving the coriander well

you may also use a blender 

like me as I don't have a food processor..(yet!)

the coriander turns out finer in size (see pic below)
which is okay as the taste remains the same

store in an airtight bottle and keep refrigerated at all times
when the recipe calls for coriander garnishing put a little bit in it before you turn off the fire

remember : a little goes a long way!

in addition
this makes an excellent condiment to any soups!
just add a small amount and it is goodness to the last drop :)

drop me a comment

if you please :)

ciao!

french rose buds in strawberry tea

Are those rose buds floating in my tea?

It sure is :)

This is how the dried rose buds look like neatly packaged in a small bottle

When this was given to me as a door gift for a birthday celebration I attended to

I have no idea what to do with it



after doing some research on Google here's what I did;



put some water to boil on the stove
in a 500ml jug put in a sachet of strawberry tea + 6 buds of roses
pour boiling water into the jug
after 1 min take out the tea bag and add some sugar if you like
by now the smell of the rose buds plus strawberry is too lovely

enjoy your tea while it is hot :)

The rose buds actually assist in clearing toxins and heat from the body

If you are trying it out for the first time just like me ..take only 6 buds

and wait for its effect on your body..

you don't want to end up having diarrhea!

Those buds also contain Vitamin C which is good for the immune system 

but as we all know Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body

 any excesses are flushed out from our body

so go slow on the number of buds at any one time

Above all the aroma
of the rose together with the strawberry is out of this world!

combine with the taste...ooohhh

what can I tell ya :)

roasted chicken thigh

this is probably the one and only recipe 

where I can't give accurate measurement

besides the chicken thigh the rest is purely seasonings

and it is really up to your taste buds!

Seasonings used for this recipe:

paprika, cajun, ground black pepper, salt and parsley

Here is how simple it is to make:

Cleaning the chicken

remove the skin of 1 chicken thigh, rub salt all over and wash thoroughly with clean water

the salt will remove all slime and fine feathers from the chicken

rinse well in water and drain it in a colander to remove excess moisture

Seasoning the chicken

I like it hot so I was quite generous on the paprika rubbing it all over the chicken thigh

I was cautious on the cajun so I sprinkled it bit by bit on the chicken

as for the black pepper just a dash of it is enough

be generous on the salt and parsley

Baking the chicken

preheat oven at 180C

grease the baking tray with little olive oil before placing the chicken on it 

bake for 30 mins or until both sides are cooked

serve hot

voila!

Quick easy and simply delicious :)

spinach and tomato in soup

As I recall
the only green leafy veggie I ate when I was a kid was spinach :)
my mom made a simple soup with it and I've loved it since
today I added a whole fresh tomato into the soup
it gets so much more tastier!

so simple to make and cooks in 5 mins!

lets get straight to the making..

wash 250g of spinach thoroughly to remove all sands and what have you

separate the leaves from its stem and cut up the stem into 2" length

soak 10 dried anchovies for 5 mins and remove its head and intestines

crush 1 garlic and chop it up finely and then thinly slice 1 shallots

on the stove heat a medium-sized pot over medium fire and pour in 1 Tbsp cooking oil

toss in the cleaned anchovies and fry till golden brown and aromatic

then toss in the shallots and garlic and saute till golden brown

add in 1/2 cup of water and bring it to a boil

meanwhile cut 1 fresh tomato into wedges and toss it into the boiling soup

add in 1 tsp of salt and cook the tomato for 2 mins 

toss in the spinach and cook for 2 mins or

until the spinach turns soft with a brilliant dark green color

taste for saltiness and off the fire

serve hot

voila!

simply wholesome goodness :)

peach rose

I have a tiny garden by the window :)

And the only rose I have made her debut appearance with so much glory and magnificence

4 months ago..

scented with a peachy fragrance 

this sunset glory brought so much happiness to my heart :)

however...

never had I imagine it would change its shape in its blooming trends

this was taken today

Not only does it have thick and bushy petals but the shape of the flower evolves as well

Is this something new or was I simply ignorant about roses

I know I DO have a lot to learn about roses

but to see it changes to another species really throw me off!

Any rose experts out there to enlighten me on this?

appreciate any feedback  ;)

meanwhile I'm enjoying the sweet fragrance it exudes especially in the morning
to wake up smelling it is heavenly..

ciao!

rice congee

I'm feeling under the weather today
and I need something smooth to ease down the sore throat :(

rice porridge is all I've been thinking off to ease down my temperature
an easy fix where I could put all ingredients in the pot and leave it on the stove..
to whip up a miracle!



choosing the right rice is important in savoring a delicious congee
broken rice is the best and so is any full grain Thai-imported rice
but not Basmathi rice as it lacks the starch required


the beauty of porridge is that there is no hard and fast rule in its making

whatever I have in the fridge is fine

and as always..I picked it up from my mom :)




so here goes the recipe:



place 100 ml rice in a medium pot and wash it thoroughly until the water becomes clear

then pour 3 cups of water into the pot

toss in these must-haves into the pot: 3 crushed garlic + 1/2" thinly sliced ginger

then put the pot on the stove over medium fire

for the stock toss in 10 dried cleaned anchovies + 5 fresh prawns and let it boil

meanwhile for vegetables slice 1 tomato + 3 shiitake mushrooms + 5 okras

allow all ingredients to boil until the rice is cooked

add 1 tsp salt + 2 cups of water for the gravy to simmer gently

until it reaches a thick consistency

off the fire and serve hot

garnish with spring onions

best taken with condiment of soy sauce and green chillies!

voila :)

pan-seared calamari in tomato

This is probably the simplest meal I've cooked

seriously a last minute thought which turns out to be delicious beyond expectation :)

What I didn't know was that the tomato which was sour adds so much flavor to this

a very easy and quick preparation you'll see..

wash and clean 1 large squid then slice it into smaller pieces

on the stove heat a medium sized pot over medium fire and pour in 1 Tbsp cooking oil

meanwhile crush 1 garlic and cut into small pieces and toss into the heated oil to cook for 1 min

cut 1 tomato into small wedges and cut 1 stalk cilantro into small strips

stir fry the garlic then toss in tomato + cilantro + squid and mix all ingredients well

keep stirring for a couple of minutes until the squid turns opaque or solid white

toss in 1/2 tsp salt and give the ingredients one last stir and off the fire

serve hot

voila!



easy peasy and so delicious!

flourless banana pancake

If you are stuck with extremely ripen bananas at home

don't throw it away ...

turn it into this wholesome goodness instead

so smooth and fluffy and good to the last bite!

And what's more.. it is so easy to make :)

place 2 peeled bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork into chunky pieces

in a small bowl beat 2 eggs then pour this into the banana and whisk together

add in 1/8 tsp of baking powder + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and mix all ingredients well

 on the stove heat a non-stick pan over small fire and brush lightly with cooking oil

then scoop 1 Tbsp of banana mixture onto the pan and let it cook

depending on the size of the pan you could cook 3 to 4 pancakes at a time

wait for small bubbles to appear on the surface of the pancake before flipping

cook for another 2 mins after flipping or until the pancake can be lifted off the pan easily

repeat for the rest of the mixture and stack them up

serve hot with maple syrup and butter

or just eat it on its own!




Pancakes are no longer eaten for breakfast only
with this light taste it makes an excellent snack any time of the day
with no sugar or additional salt added you could always dunk this without guilt! 

shiitake mushroom and choy sum in oyster sauce

This is by far the simplest yet most delicious vegetable dish I've ever eaten

the silkiness and luxury taste of the shiitake mushroom is truly exquisite!!

you simply got to try this!

and it is so easy to make

 so... lets get down to it shall we :)

wash 6 fresh shiitake mushroom then slice them up into 1/4" thickness

wash 100g of fresh choy sum and cut it up into 3 ie 1 part stem and 2 parts leaves

crush 2 garlic and chop it into small pieces and set aside 

on the stove heat a non-stick pan over medium fire and pour in 1 Tbsp cooking oil

saute the garlic for 1 min and toss in the shiitake mushroom

stir fry for 2 mins or until the shiitake mushroom changes its texture to soft

add in 1 Tbsp oyster sauce + 1 tsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp salt and mix thoroughly

the add in the choy sum and stir fry all ingredients until the choy sum is cooked

or turns to a brilliant bright green color

then toss in a dash of white pepper powder and mix thoroughly

off the fire and serve immediately

what can I tell you..

the taste is totally out of this world!

hhmmm.. :) 

crispy crisp onion rings

I've been wanting to cook onion rings for a long time
and I'm so glad I found this recipe
seriously.. this is so good! so crunchy yet so traditional :)

thanks Eugenie!

preparing the onion
peel off the skin of 1 onion and on a chopping board slice it into 1/2" thickness
both yellow onion and red onion is fine depending on your preference
separate the rings out and set aside
 meanwhile in a mixing bowl pour in 1 cup of all-purpose flour
toss in the onion rings into the flour and using a tong evenly coat each ring in it
tap excessive flour off each ring and set aside on a plate


making the batter
using the remaining all-purpose flour in the mixing bowl add in the following:
1/2 cup corn starch + 1/2 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp dried parsley
whisk in all together to combine
meanwhile in a separate small bowl beat an egg
add the egg into the flour followed by 3/4 cup milk
whisk all in to get a smooth batter


coating the onion
put the onion rings into the batter, 3 or 4 rings at a time and coat it
meanwhile pour 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs onto a flat plate or tray
using a fork pick up one onion ring and allow excessive batter to drip off
then transfer it to the breadcrumb
using a tong coat each ring evenly with the breadcrumbs
do the same for the rest of the onion rings


frying the onion rings
on the stove heat a wok with 1 cup cooking oil
deep fry each ring on small to medium fire until golden brown
drain the fried onion rings on to a plate lined with paper towel
sprinkle salt and serve hot
voila!

if you like cheese you could grate your favorite cheese over it too
sensationally delicious!

best eaten with tomato sauce or chilly sauce or mayonnaise :)

spaghetti aglio e olio

Most Italians cook this with their eyes closed..lol!
Believe me..I tried many..many times cooking this without much success :(
but today I'm so happy that I finally got it right
yeay! ;)

I've discovered the secret to a delicious meal of spaghetti aglio e olio lies
in the cooking of the pasta itself
the manufacturer may have their say as to how long to cook it
whether you want it "el-dente" (firm) or soft
seriously.."cook it as you like it" is my best advice! :)


so lets get started!

you need to use 2 stoves side by side for this recipe



cooking the spaghetti

on one stove half-fill a medium pot with water and bring it to boil

when the water has boiled toss in 1 Tbsp of salt and 150g of spaghetti

cook until you get the tenderness that you like best!

scoop 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest



cooking the garlic sauce

on the other stove place a medium saucepan and pour in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

then finely slice 4 cloves garlic and toss this into the pan

over small fire allow the garlic to infuse with the cold olive oil

 saute till the garlic becomes golden pale in color NOT brown

then add in fresh chopped parsley and water from the pasta

simmer the garlic soup until it becomes half the amount

add in the drained spaghetti into the garlic soup

sprinkle black pepper and toss the spaghetti in the soup for a few minutes

off the fire and serve hot

buon appetito!

tuna fried rice

Seriously..

I've never ever thought of cooking this before

I mean..tuna??! in fried rice??!! really?? lol

my first ever experience and what do you know
it wasn't bad at all :)

Tuna is flavorless so it is really up to you to put the flavor in it

and that all depends on your taste buds

I like it spicy as always :)

So here is how I put it all together

heat up a wok on medium fire and pour in 3 Tbsp of cooking oil 

saute 3 sliced shallots + 2 chopped garlic + 1 sliced red chilly till fragrant

add in 1 can drained tuna + 1/2 tsp finely diced ginger + 1 tsp salt

continue saute till tuna has broken into tiny pieces and becomes crispy

then add in 1 cup cooked rice and mix all together 

keep frying till the rice gets separated and light

tasting time and if need be add more salt

off fire and serve hot with hot chillies on the side

Here's how I make the hot chillies

slice thinly 6-10 bird's eye chillies or Thai chillies 

place it in a small bowl and add in 1 Tbsp fish sauce 

squeeze 2-3 fresh calamansi over it and mix all together

voila!

Wow!! It is so hot but that's the kick..lol :)

steamed broccoli

This is one of my all time favorite veggie dish

very very tasty and so so easy to make!

Thanks to Chef Michael Smith :)

Making it:

fill a small saucepan (with lid) with 1/4" of water

then toss in 1 Tbsp olive oil + 1 finely sliced garlic + sprinkle of black pepper + 1/2 tsp salt

put the saucepan on small fire and bring all the ingredients to a gentle boil

meanwhile cut the broccoli into small florets and rinse under running water

add all florets into the saucepan just when the ingredients are boiling

cover the saucepan with the lid and cook for 4 minutes

off the fire and using a kitchen cloth

hold the saucepan on both sides and shake it up and down

this will distribute the ingredients evenly over the broccoli

put the saucepan back on the stove and let it rest for 1 minute

then once again shake the saucepan up and down

serve hot

truly wholesome goodness!

apple fritters

I'm a great fan of Anna Olson the pastry chef
so here I am trying my hands on one of her creations!
I chose this recipe as it doesn't use the oven
my oven broke down.. :(
what a perfect timing!

Anna divides her recipe into the following portions for easy making

 Preparing the apple
In a small mixing bowl

peel 2 tart apples, any type of your favorite ones and grate coarsely 

mix it with 1 tsp lemon zest + 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 3 Tbsp sugar and set aside

Preparing the sour cream base

In a big mixing bowl

mix 2/3 cups sour cream + 1/2 cup sugar + 2 egg yolks and stir

then add the above apple mixture and whisk together 

Preparing the flour

on a parchment paper or tray sift the following ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt + 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg


Preparing the batter
add the flour into the sour cream base and mix well
then add 2 1/2 Tbsp melted butter and mix well


Preparing the apple fritters
in a separate mixing bowl whisk 2 egg whites until it becomes white
then add 2 Tbsp sugar and continue whisking until the whites barely becomes soft peaks
then add this into the batter and mix well using a spatula
scoop the batter with an ice cream scoop and deep fry until golden brown
when it has cooled down sprinkle icing sugar on top of the fritters


Voila!


It was a sweet success!
Thanks Anna :)