Brown Rice, Asparagus and Salmon with Balsamic Vinegar

This feel good recipe is so healthy, yummy and easy! Try it for your healthy Monday menu! Perfect to bounce back after the weekend!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 asparagus, trimmed
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 salmon fillets, skin on
Dressing:
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION
Add the rice to saucepan. Cover with 2 cups cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let sit, covered, about 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.

While rice is cooking, preheat grill to high. Oil grill.
Drizzle salmon and asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add salmon and asparagus to grill. Reduce heat to medium high.
Grill salmon until opaque and just cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on thickness of fish. Grill asparagus until tender crisp, turning as needed, about 2 to 3 minutes.

ASSEMBLY
To make the dressing: add shallot, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey and olive oil to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning and acidity to taste. Set aside.
Add rice to large bowl, toss with about 3/4's of the dressing.
Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces and toss into rice. Break salmon into smaller pieces. Delicately, combine salmon into rice and asparagus mix. Drizzle with more dressing.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Giant cookie

Few weeks ago the kiddos stayed overnight and I wanted to make them some nice treats. Something that will make their eyes popped! So, I made them this giant cookies with mixed of M & M candies, almonds, oats, milk chocolate, white chocolate and raisins.. One recipe makes two giant cookies and boy it was gone so fast!
Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (unsalted)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup each almonds, raisins, white chocolate, milk chocolate, M&M candy, for mixing into cookie batter

PREPARATIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two oven-proof (8-inch) skillets with parchment paper. (Alternatively, cook the big cookies, one at a time.)
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and continue to beat.
Stir in the flour and oats just until combined. Don’t over mix. Stir in almonds, raisins, and chocolates.
Divide dough in half and add each half to a skillet. Garnish top of each cookie with M & M candies.
Bake cookies until golden around the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

  

Italian Meatballs

I love Italian food! Have I mentioned that?
Today for dinner I'm making Italian Meatballs..now I just have to decide whether I want to serve it over pasta, rice, or....hotdog buns??? Mmhhhh...

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp  pepper
1/4 cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb  lean ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
28 oz  diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 zucchini, grated
1/2 tsp  dried basil
1/2 tsp  dried oregano

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine fresh bread crumbs with water; let stand until absorbed, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg, 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper, cheese and parsley. Mix in pork. Roll  into balls.
Brush large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil; heat over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs, in batches, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Drain any fat from pan. Add onion and garlic; cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, zucchini, basil and oregano; simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 25 minutes. Puree in a blender until it's rather smooth then return to the pan with meatballs about 20 minutes.

Vegetable Biryani Rice

Ingredients:
Rice:
2 cups basmati rice
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 bay leave
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp kosher salt

Vegetables;
6 cups mixed frozen veggies
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced ginger
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large pinch of saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup of warm water

Garnish:
1/4 cup raisin
1/4 cup cashew
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation:
Rinse the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Cook rice in a pan, add spices and salt. Boil until the rice just tender but still crisp.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
Cook onion, garlic, ginger, stirring for a minute. Add the spices and stirring for another minute. Add water, vegetables and salt, cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are warmed through.

In a baking dish, pour the rice and vegetables and mixed it. Drizzle the saffron water mixture on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve the rice with raisins, cashews and cilantro on top.

Butter Chicken

BEWARE!!!!
This recipe will cause addiction! The sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
You have been warned!

Ingredients:

2 onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp  butter
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp  chili powder
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp  ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp  ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup  sodium-reduced chicken broth
1/4 cup  almond butter
3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

In a blender, combine onions, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper and tomatoes.
Whisk broth with almond butter, mixed with the puree and pour into slow cooker. Put the butter and chicken into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low up to 8 hours.
Stir in sour cream. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

 

Quesadilla Pie

This recipe is a show stopper and feed the crowd!

Ingredients:

1 pkg fresh spinach
2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 tsp  pepper
1 can  red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup  mild salsa
1/2 cup  corn kernels
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 large flour tortillas
1 large tomato, sliced

Preparation:

Trim and rinse spinach; shake off excess water. In large saucepan, cover and cook spinach over medium heat, with just the water clinging to leaves, for 8 minutes or until wilted. Drain in sieve, pressing out moisture. Let cool slightly and chop.

In food processor or blender, process cottage cheese until smooth. Add egg, 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and pepper; pulse to combine. In bowl, stir cottage cheese mixture with spinach; set aside.

In separate bowl, mash beans with fork; stir in salsa, corn and 2 tbsp of the coriander. (Recipe can be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours).

Stir garlic into cheese mixture. Place 1 tortilla on baking sheet. Spread with generous 1/2 cup cheese mixture; cover with another tortilla. Spread with generous 1/2 cup salsa mixture; cover with another tortilla. Repeat cheese and salsa layers 3 times. Spread with remaining cheese mixture; top with remaining tortilla. Arrange tomato on top; sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Garnish with remaining coriander.

Lemon Garlicky Chicken

This recipe has enough garlics to kill a vampire..but if you love garlic and lemon like I do, give this recipe a try! It's delicious!

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs with bones and skin, about 3 1/2 pounds
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced onions
• 30 cloves (about 2 heads) garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound pasta
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken thighs with 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the freshly ground pepper.
Place the flour in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and set aside.
In a large wide saute pan with 2 to 3-inch sides, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the thighs and brown well on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions to the oil and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the chicken until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaf and cook 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and browned chicken thighs to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover tightly, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the lid and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and tender.

While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes for dry pasta. Drain well and toss in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of the parsley and the butter.

To serve, place a portion of pasta in the center of 4 large plates. Arrange 2 thighs around each serving of pasta and drizzle lemon garlic cooking liquid over the pasta. Garnish with additional parsley and serve immediately.

Fish Taco with Mango and Avocado Salsa and Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 oz (227 g) tilapia fillets
• 1/4 tsp  ground allspice
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 2/3 cup  panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 corn tortillas

Mango Salsa:

• 1/2 cup  diced pitted peeled mango
• 1avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 tsp grated lime zest
• 2 tsp  lime juice
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tbsp. lime juice

Preparation

Sprinkle fish with allspice, salt and pepper. Place panko, flour and egg in separate shallow dishes. Dredge fish in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in panko, pressing to adhere.

In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook fish, turning once, until golden and fish flakes easily when tested with fork, 6 to 8 minutes. Break into chunks and keep warm.

Mango Salsa: Meanwhile, combine mango, avocado, onion, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper; set aside.

Yogurt Sauce: Combine yogurt with lime juice; set aside.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish among tortillas; top with mango salsa and yogurt sauce.

Notes:
If you want super quick and easy version, you can use store bought fish fillets. Heat it up in the oven as per the packaging, cut into cubes and all you need to do is the avocado/mango salsa & yogurt sauce.
 

Classic Greek Salad

Greek Salad is one of my favorites. It's colorful, fresh, and super healthy and easy to make!


INGREDIENTS
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or 2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Handful Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 handfuls kalamata olives, pitted
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

PREPARATION

Add tomatoes, onion, cucumber, green pepper and parsley to large bowl.
Drizzle salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Garnish with black olives and feta.

Bakwan Udang Sayur (Indonesian Vegetable & Shrimp Fitters)

All Indonesians love these! It's a savory snack that you can find in almost street corner in Jakarta. But to me, it is also great for dinner.
If you are vegetarian and want to dismiss the shrimps, that's absolutely fine. But to me the chopped shrimps really added flavor to it.

Ingredients:
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups rice flour
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth (if you are vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable broth)
1 pack of shredded cabbage & carrot (coleslaw salad packaging)
1 pack of small shrimps, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, chopped

Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the batter.
Heat the pan over medium heat.
Take a spoonful of the mixture and fry it until golden brown.

Bakwan Jagung (Indonesian Corn Fritters)

This is one of my all time favorites. Once you start, you just can not stop eating it, trust me!
There are so many recipes for Bakwan Jagung out there but this one has been perfected many times. You can rest assure to get a crunchy coating and delicious flavors inside.
The secret is to use a lot of rice flour and less all purpose flour.

Ingredients
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups rice flour
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth (if you are vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock)
3 cups frozen corn
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 stack of celery, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, chopped

Preparation
Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl.
Then put the vegetables into the batter.
Heat the pan on medium heat and take a spoonful of the mixture and fry it until golden brown.

Caprese Pasta Salad

I love cold pasta salad in a hot summer day! And if you have not tried bocconcini cheese, this is a great recipe that will make you fall in love with this cheese!

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Vinaigrette
1 large plum tomato, roughly chopped
2 to 3 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Caprese Pasta Salad
14 ounces short pasta
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
16 mini bocconcini, left whole or cut in half
1 small bunch basil, roughly chopped

PREPARATION
 Tomato Vinaigrette
Add plum tomato, sundried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to food processor. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Caprese Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain. Rinse pasta under cold water and drain well. Add pasta, grape tomatoes, bocconcini and basil to large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Panzanella Salad with Poached Eggs

If you have left over old bread that starts to get hard, don't throw it away! You can make croutons out of it and toss it in a salad. Like this recipe, Panzanella Salad with Poached Eggs. I love how simple it is but the flavor is bold! The secret ingredient? Anchovies! Yes, you heard me. Anchovies! Wink wink..

Ingredients:
Cut your old bread into cubes, about 4 cups
1/3 extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 anchovies, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. capers, drained well
pinch of salt & pepper
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups cubed seeded English cucumbers
1/4 cups chopped fresh basil
4 eggs poached

How to poach a perfect egg:
Bring a pan to almost boil and add 1 tbsp. of vinegar
Crack an egg in a bowl and place the bowl as close as possible to the water and gently drop the egg to the water. Let it sit for few minutes. The vinegar will help the egg white to come together. When the egg is set, lift it up with a slotted spoon.

Do this one egg at the time for perfect result.

Preparation:
Spread cubed bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Bake in 350F oven for about 15 minutes.
Mixed all ingredients together in a big salad bowl (except the poached eggs), toss to coat.

When serving in a plate, top the salad with poached egg.

Vietnamese Spring Roll with Peanut Sauce Dressing

I love Vietnamese Spring Roll! It's healthy, colorful and yummy! It's also very easy to make; just a lot of preparations to be done.

Ingredients for spring roll:
115 gram rice vermicelli
1 tsp sesame oil
12 large rice paper wrappers
36 cooked large shrimps
1/2 sweet red bell pepper
1/2 sweet yellow bell pepper
1 English cucumber, seeded, cut in thin strips
1/2 mango, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro

Ingredients for peanut sauce dressing:
1/4 cup crunch peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. hot sauce (you can adjust this according to your taste bud)
3 tbsp. water
Mixed all together in a bowl, set aside.

Preparation:
Break rice vermicelli in a bowl and pour hot boiling water on top. Soak until tender about 3 minutes. Drain well and toss with sesame oil.

Fill in a shallow bowl with warm water. Soak rice paper one at the time in a water until softened and pliable, about 30 seconds.
Spread wrapper on a clean kitchen towel.
Along the bottom third of wrapper place 3 shrimps, top with vermicelli, red and yellow peppers, mango, and cucumber. Top with mint and cilantro.

Roll wrapper over filling. Fold the side over like an envelope. Place seam down on a tray, and repeat for the remaining.

Home-made Blueberry sauce

This home-made blueberry sauce is divine!! And so easy to make! Just combine these ingredients and bring it to boil - 5 minutes! Done!
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Serve over waffle or pancake..YUM!

Indonesian Food Fiesta!

I am missing my Indonesian food! The good part is, I can find all ingredients that I needed here; so last sunday, we invited a couple of friends over for dinner. I wanted to make nasi tumpeng, which is yellow rice shaped in a tall triangle cone; but since I couldn't find a tall triangle cone here, I shaped the yellow rice using a funnel! It was my husband's idea! And he's brilliant!
So, the first photo is balado kentang, telur puyuh & Udang (translation: potatoes, quail eggs and shrimp in balado chilli sauce), and the second photo is how the plates look like. I decorated the plate a bit with pandan leave then the yellow rice standing tall and proud in the middle, surrounded by all the yummy companions:  Sliced omellette; Chicken in Balinese sauce; Tempe cooked with sweet soy sauce; Potatoes, Quail Eggs and Shrimps in Balado Sauce; and some sliced cucumber to ease the heat.
It's SO delicious! HAPPY!!

Bacon, Leek and Shallot Pie (with store bought pie to make it simple)

In my earlier post, I told you how much I'm into Leek these days. What I have not mentioned is that I love all the onions family! Shallot particularly is my favourite! It has a strong but delightful taste and smell, that I just love! I even told my husband that if I ever going to have children, I will name my little girl.... Shallot! Well, it's a pretty name, don't you think?
Anyway, again I 'm combining my favourites into one dish. Again, with pie you can add whatever you like, so you can change the filling if you don't like what I have here. And with store bought pie shell, this recipe is just super easy!

Ingredients
1 store bought pie shells
6 small shallots, cut in half
1 leek, chopped, white and light green part only (do not use the green leaves, it's hard!)
5 slices bacon, chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup whipping cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add egg, egg yolk and cream to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
Add leek, shallots, bacon and thyme to the pie shell.
Pour egg mixture over the leek and shallots. Bake the pie, for about 30 minutes.

Super easy right?

Ham, Leek and Pesto Pasta Frittata

With Frittata, you can combine whatever you like, right? Well, ever since I discovered Leek, I can't get enough of this vegetable! I love it! I feel like I want to put Leek in almost all my cooking! I love the texture, the taste..it's not overwhelming; it has a more gentle taste that somehow I love!
Anyway, I am putting all three that I love in one pan. Ham, Leek and Pesto Pasta! Hubby said it's a TEN!


INGREDIENTS
2 cups fusilli
2 tbsp basil pesto
4 tbsp. olive oil, as needed
A handful of button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup ham, cut in cubes
1 leek, sliced
6 eggs
About 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 roasted red peppers, sliced and patted dry, for garnishing
Parsley leaves, for garnishing
Cheddar cheese,  grated, for garnishing

PREPARATION

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt. Cook the  fusili until al dente.
Drain the pasta and add 2 tbsp of basil pesto. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil when olive is hot, add mushrooms, ham and leeks. Cook until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
In large bowl, beat eggs with fork; Add pasta, Cheddar cheese, mushroom mixture, parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Heat medium non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil. When olive oil is hot, add egg mixture. Cook until egg mixture starts to just set, about 5 minutes. Garnish with slices of roasted red pepper on top. Finish cooking frittata in oven until eggs are fully set, about 10 minutes in the oven.
Garnish with parsley and grated cheese, if desired.

Trust me, one piece is not enough!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

My husband loves pineapple. So, to welcome him home, today I made Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
In the beginning I was scared that it won't flip nicely; but in the end, it worked out beautifully, as you can see on the photo :) Happy! Happy! Happy!

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
2/3 cups butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
8 fresh pineapple slices (OR you can buy the canned cut pineapple if you don't want to bother cutting the pineapple)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Using a mixer, cream 1/3 cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Then add milk and flour mixture in 2 additions.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/3 cup butter and brown sugar in an 8-inch heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. When brown sugar melts and starts to bubble, remove from heat. Add pineapple rings in decorative pattern.
Scrape cake batter over top of pineapple rings, spreading with spatula to cover.
Bake until cake tester comes out clean when inserted into centre of cake, about 30 minutes.
Let cake stand in pan for 5 minutes, then put a cake plate on top of the pan and flip it.
 

Super easy Raspberry Triffle Parfaits

If you want to impress your guest but you don't have a lot of time to make dessert, then this is the recipe for you. Because this recipe is using store bought cake, you have very little to do; and it taste amazing!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 pound  buttercake , diced
• 4 cups fresh or thawed raspberries
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 cups whipping cream

For Garnish:

• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate , grated
• 20 fresh raspberries

Preparation

In large bowl, sprinkle orange juice over cake and toss; let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in blender, purtogether 1 cup of the raspberries, condensed milk and sugar; strain through fine sieve into small bowl. In large bowl, whip cream; fold in raspberry mixture.
Into each wine glasses spoon 2 tbsp of the cake mixture. Top each with heaping 1 tbsp of the remaining raspberries; top with heaping 2 tbsp of the cream mixture. Repeat layers once. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours.

Garnish: Top with fresh raspberry and sprinkle with grated chocolate

 

Oven baked rice (with sauteed Crimini mushroom, or not..)

I am a rice lover! Well, I am Indonesian.. Indonesian and rice are inseparable. My mum is worst. She won't feel full nor satisfied without rice. Anyway, one of Indonesian most famous food is Nasi Goreng a.k.a Fried Rice in English; but these days you really have to try to reduce fried food, and cook your meal in a more healthy way. So, an easy and tasty way to make fried rice without frying it, is by baking it in the oven. It's easy, fast and healthier for you. It's also good to make when you want to "clean" your fridge. Whatever veggies and meat you have left in your fridge, you can just throw it in and bake it with the rice.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups rice
2 celery stalks, diced
1 cup sliced Crimini mushroom 
1/2 pound lean ground pork ( we want to be healthy right? So avoid red meat and choose lean meat)
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce, or to taste
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 cups boiling water
2 carrots, dices
2 bokcoy, sliced
Sesame seeds, for garnish
2 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Remember:, you can modify the veggies and meat to whatever you have or want. This recipe is very versatile.

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add rice, celery, mushroom, carrot, bokcoy, ground pork, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sherry vinegar, sesame oil to a baking dish. Stir to combine. Add boiling water. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until rice is tender and meat is cooked, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let it rest, covered, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Fluff rice with fork and stir to mix. Garnish rice with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve while it's hot! YUMMMMM!!!!

Now...the above is the recipe if you want quick, no hassle meal. If you happen to have 25 minutes more, then I suggest you to do the above recipe EXCEPT for the Crimini mushroom. Leave the mushroom uncut and sautee  the Crimini mushroom separately as follows:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds Crimini mushroom, brushed it clean with damp towel
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (if you happen to like the taste of mushroom, then no need to add red wine)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

PREPARATION

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, butter and garlic Add mushrooms and season with salt, pepper and thyme then cook 15 minutes until evenly browned and tender. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Add parsley. Serve it over the oven-baked rice. Ohhh!!! You'll hear the angel sings!! 

Crispy Waffle

I am a waffle girl!!!!I don't like pancake because of the soft texture. Anyway, my wonderful step daughter sent us an Amazon gift card for Christmas and we decided on getting waffle iron.

Now, I am conservative when it comes to waffle. I think the topping should be on top of the waffle, not in it.So if you are like me, then here is the recipe for Crispy Waffle.

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups warm milk

1/3 cup of butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparations
In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.
As for toppings, you can whipped some cream (35%) and sprinkle with grated dark chocolate on top of it; blue berries, raspberries, maple syrup, are just some of the ideas.

Chicken Cacciatore

There are lots of recipes for Chicken Cacciatore but this one is to die for! This recipe can be done quickly or longer. If you don't have a lot of time then of course you can serve it right after it cooks in the oven. But if you want to go an extra length for this recipe, after the chicken is done in the oven, put it in a slow cooker for few hours in low heat; and what it does is, you chicken will be SO tender and it will fall apart nicely.

INGREDIENTS

6-8 pieces of chicken mix of chicken thighs (and/ or drumsticks)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 sprig each sage, rosemary and thyme, chopped
1 can pitted black olives
1 to 2 tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup red wine
4 pieces of jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley, for garnishing

500 gram of linguini or spaghetti 

PREPARATION

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp. olive oil. When oil is hot, add chicken and cook until pieces are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.

Add onion, garlic and herbs and sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olives and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Let reduce for 5 minutes. Add roasted red pepper, diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

Heat the oven to 350F. Transfer to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through about 35 to 40 minutes. 

When the chicken is about done in the oven, bring water to boil in a large pot. Season generously with salt. Put the pasta in the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Of course you can always pick it up and taste it or you can do what the Italian does, throw the pasta into the wall and if it sticks, then it's al dente :)

Serve the pasta on a dish and top it with the chicken and the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

If dinner is still awhile away or you have few extra hours, after the chicken finish in the oven, put it in a slow cooker on low heat for few extra hours. It will make the chicken more tender and the meat will fall apart nicely.

So if you do put the chicken in the slow cooker, then cook the pasta when you are just about ready to eat.

Yield: 4 servings.

 

Minestrone Soup

This is probably the best way to get yourself (or your kids) to eat vegetables; and God it's SO good!!
It requires a lot of chopping and preparation, but it can feed the entire village! (I'm kidding!) Well..the entire family (up to 8 person). As leftover, it's perfect as it gets better and better each day! If it gets too dense after a few days, just add chicken stock when you heat it up.

It can also be a vegetarian dish, for those who are vegetarian. Just skip the bacon and use vegetable stock instead.

This soup is very filling because of the beans, so it can be a meal by itself. Serve it over baguette and be prepared to smile when you see your kids eat their veggies and tell you how good this is!


INGREDIENTS

3 (14 ounces) cans white beans
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces bacon diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrot, diced
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bokcoy, sliced
1/2 white cabbage, chopped
3 leeks, sliced (don't use the leaves because it's hard)
3 zucchini, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7 to 8 cups chicken stock
Handful basil, chopped
Handful Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Baguette, cut in diagonal, for serving

PREPARATION


Mash half the beans and leave the remaining half whole. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté bacon, garlic, onion, celery, carrot and rosemary for 5 to 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes, bokcoy, cabbage, leeks, zucchini, and beans (whole and mashed), bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

Season the soup with salt and pepper. Add 7 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add 1 cup more chicken stock.) Reduce heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Finish the soup with basil and parsley. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and baguette.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Schwartz's Deli, Montreal, Canada

Here at Schwartz's Deli you can expect THE best smoked meat; and when I said the best, it's seriously the best! Expect queing outside the door for about 10-20 minutes before you finally can get some seats! Even in the winter, people will line up for some smoked meat. This is one of the reasons why I don't want to be vegetarian! So, try their smoked meat with pickle and fries; and pair it with Black Cherry soda! Somehow the combination of those bring me straight to heaven!!

Gosh..it's 2013!

Time flies....Yup! I guess no one will argue with that!
What's new with me? What should I write? What have I achieved in 2012?
Well..I guess I can say that I have become a full time house wife and learnt how to cook; and now..I am quite a domestic goddess! I used to admire those who can cook, or bake; my idol usually is a range of chefs on TV..Nigella Lawson, Anna Olson; But now..I kinda love the new me. I love to challenge myself in the kitchen, trying new recipes, even if sometimes the name is unknown to my knowledge. And so far I have impressed myself, and my husband!

So, in 2013, I will try to blog about my cooking; posting my favourite recipes. Food that I have tried in my own kitchen and loved. And hope that it will benefit others!

Happy New Year! May 2013 brings lots of happiness and joy! Be happy! Life is too short to be anything but happy! Enjoy good food!Life is too short to eat crap food! :)