Sesame And Bonito Flakes Crusted Tofu

I have to thank Zurin of Cherry On a Cake for this delish tofu finger food. The moment I saw it on her blog I am sold. After all the festive activities, I am now settled to be able to have my own space to try out this delightful tofu dish. It was so good with the bonito fragrant and truly being a tofu fan, this is absolutely fantastic. Crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. I dipped it with wasabi and mmmmm...I thought I have gone to heaven :) The sesame seeds added flavor to the crusted tofu. Yummilicious....no words to describe..go read Zurin post on it. But please don't compare hers with mine. She is my sifu :)) Student normally lose out to the sifu. Kudos to Zurin !

cut the soft tofu into 8 pieces...wipe dry with paper towel

coat it with potato flour ( I used potato flour instead)

Dip in beaten egg and coat it with sesame and bonito flakes

and fry it on a non stick pan with sesame oil or vegetable oil

till golden brown

before frying...well coated with bonito flakes and sesame seed

A big thank you to Zurin for this delicious tofu dish !

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Roasted Chicken Keel With Mustard And Fresh Asian Basil

There are many ways to cook chicken keels and I love them roasted with fresh asian basil and mustard & dill sauce. It makes the keels taste much much more flavorful and tasty. By the way , I am trying to plant asian basil in my garden and praying hard it will grow well. I love basil in omelette and in soup or even in dipping sauce. It is fragrant and it is good as a marinade for roast. I am going to share with you how I used these asian basil as a marinade for the roast.

I chopped up some asian basil and garlic, add into the mustard & dill sauce...stuffed the marinade under the skin of the keel , brushed on teriyaki honey and soy sauce and that's it...simple and easy right ? :) Roast the keel in a preheated oven at 200º C for 40 minutes and tada... and you have a plate of well balanced delicious meal . Baked some red potatoes with black pepper and olive oil at the same time baking the roast keel and whipped up a refreshing salad to go with the roast. A perfect well balanced dinner for the four of us. This is one simple meal I prepared for my Piggies when they were back for their festive holidays :)) Piggy boy loves it for he is a breast chicken breast guy I mean :p

marinade sauce : chopped basil leaves, garlic, mustard & dill sauce

stuffed under the skin and marinate it for 30 minutes before roasting

them in the oven

roast some red potatoes to add to

the roast keels

roasted red potatoes...with lotz of black pepper and olive oil

delicious ! :)

Piggies love their roast well done

a well balanced meal for growing kids :))

Roasted Chicken Keel With Mustard & Fresh Asian Basil

Ingredients:

4 chicken keels with skin intact

marinade sauce:

10 asian basil leaves - chopped

5 pips of garlic - chopped

4 tbsp of mustard & dill sauce

(Mix the above ingredients together )

teriyaki honey & soy sauce for glazing

Preparation:

Mix all the marinade sauce ingredients together and stuff the marinade sauce under the skin of chicken keel. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven at 200º C . Place chicken keels in aluminium lined baking tray. Drizzle olive oil over the keels and brush teriyaki sauce over each keel. Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.

Baked Red Potato With Black Pepper & Oilive Oil

ingredients:

8 red potatoes - half cooked

1 tbsp of black pepper - coarsely crushed

2 tbsp of olive oil

Preparation:

Boil the potatoes till half cooked. Drain and cut slits on the surface. Place the potatoes on aluminium lined baking tray , sprinkle the black pepper and olive oil on the and bake in preheated oven at 200º C for 30 minutes. Take out and serve together with the roast keel.

Refreshing Salad

Ingredients:

curly lettuce or red/green coral lettuce

yellow capsicum - cut into strips

yellow onion - cut into rings

salad sauce - french dressing

Preparation:

Toss all the above veggies together with french dressing salad sauce. Serve with the roast keel.

Enjoy!

Salmon Steak With Balsamic Vinegar And Cheese Topping

I love salmon and it is so expensive nowadays...it is RM43 per kg ...like eating a piece of gold haha but no matter what I like to pamper ourselves to this once a while. I have cooked salmon with many different fresh herbs and no matter what it will still turn out great. I have a bottle of organic balsamic vinegar which I just bought for salad the other day. Being the innovative me, I poured balsamic vinegar all over the piece of salmon fillet and let it marinate for an hour. After which I added some chopped italian parsley from my garden to to the fillet .( ahem... I am proud of my pot of italian parsley...still growing well in the garden ..haha I like it and It likes me ) To make it more tasty and flavorful , I added in some grated cheddar cheese and drizzle olive oil over the salmon. Wrapped it in aluminium foil and baked it for 10 minutes in a pre heated oven at 200 º C . The salmon is just cooked and the texture is smooth and the taste is heavenly. A delicious piece of balsamic salmon steak for a simple and healthy dinner. You don't have to believe me but try it yourself and you will know what I mean :)

organic balsamic vinegar from Italy...yummyummy

this is not just gorgeous looking piece of salmon steak

but it is so yummilicious that I don't mind having it everyday ;p

Piggy gal will agree that this is simply delicious !

this is a nicely done piece of salmon steak...

mouthwatering piece of goodness -

sorry I don't mean to make you hungry....

just to let you drool over it...can ? LOL!

Salmon Steak With

Balsamic Vinegar & Cheese Topping

Ingredients:

2 pieces of salmon fillets

3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

a pinch of salt

3 tbsp of chopped italian parsley

some grated cheddar cheese

some olive oil

2 pieces of aluminium foil - big enough to wrap the fillets

Method:

Preheat the oven at 200 º C .

Rub salt on the salmon and pour balsamic vinegar over the salmon fillets and leave it to marinate for an hour. Place the fillets on the aluminium foil. Drizzle generously the olive all over the salmon. Add the chopped italian parsley and cheese as topping. Fold and close the edges of the aluminium foil , remember not to touch the cheese. Place on a baking tray and baked for 10 minutes for just cooked and 20 minutes for a well done one. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Christmas Dinner @ Restoran Good Times

I finally found the time to post this up...after a few days of blissful time with my Piggies..ahem a time of spoiling them with good food and cakes they loved :) The house is quiet again with them safely back in college but they will be back again on 31st and will be spending the new year with us. I am beginning to mizz them already since they left for KL a few hours ago :(

We went out for steamboat dinner on Christmas nite....the Piggies preferred eating out when it comes to steamboat for they say that their soup taste much better than mine :( So 4 against one..I lost ( I was actually jumping with joy inside but trying to act disappointed :p ) That means I can relax and enjoy myself instead of hanging out in the kitchen all day long. There are a few good steamboat restaurant in Ipoh but the Piggies pick this - Restoran Good Times, 4 & 6, Jalan Seenivasagam, Ipoh.

Christmas dinner at RM25.80 plus 5% service tax per pax. They served seafood like crabs, prawns of different species, sea urchins, squids and fresh cuttlefish , fresh mussels, all types of sea shells , meatballs & fishballs of different varieties, vegetables of different species, yong tofu and mushrooms of different varieties too, beef and lamb fillets, and a section of fried stuffs too. Their signature fried chicken wings , fried wanton and yam rice are the most popular ones. I particularly love their dippings sauce and their special chilli sauce! They offer many types of soup base for their steamboat...namely porridge, herbal soup, tom yam and fish head yam soup. Of course many more but I can't remember all of them . Piggies chose their famous fish head yam soup and tom yam.... mmmmmm delicious....I love their fish head yam soup, sweet and aromatic with bits of creamy textured yam. Their seafood are fresh especially their crabs and prawns and Piggy gal loves them all :)) Desserts are ice cream of ten different flavors and jellies too. Well, for RM25.80 per pax it was worth it since there were lots to eat and to choose from. For us, it is a time for fellowship while waiting for the food to cook.....warm fellowship indeed! I managed to snap a few pictures before I settled down to eat....so just a few shots for this post.

fresh seafood...to our delights

they served tin enoki and dumplings and shellfish of

different varieties and sea urchins too

lamb and beef fillets

delicious yam rice and their special sauces

Piggy boy waiting patiently to start ....but the waiter has not served us yet

I loved the way he pout his mouth :p

he can't wait for the food to be cooked...went for the ice cream first :p

love the warm fellowship..that's Piggy gal's bf SL

and these two shotsare candid shots.... one for the album !

Mother and daughter together :))

my three loved ones....Daddy and my Piggies :))

Elin wishes all of you.....

Happy New Year and Happy Holidays !

^______^

Elin & Family Wishes You Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

My Family and I wish all my Christian friends and readers

" A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year " !

Let us remember the underprivilege people out there

while we are celebrating this joyous occasion,

Let's us not waste food and eat in gluttony :)

for many out there are suffering from hunger......

The True Meaning Of Christmas
by Brian K. Walters

In todays' day and time,
it's easy to lose sight,
of the true meaning of Christmas
and one special night.

When we go shopping,
We say "How much will it cost?"
Then the true meaning of Christmas,
Somehow becomes lost.

Amidst the tinsel, glitter
And ribbons of gold,
We forget about the child,
born on a night so cold.

The children look for Santa
In his big, red sleigh
Never thinking of the child
Whose bed was made of hay.

In reality,
When we look into the night sky,
We don't see a sleigh
But a star, burning bright and high.

A faithful reminder,
Of that night so long ago,
And of the child we call Jesus,
Whose love, the world would know.

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year !

Winter Solstice Festival With Nata De Coco Soy Jellies:)

Happy Winter Solstice Festival to all my friends and readers of my blog. I can only share this with you...Nata De Coco Soy Jellies. I thought I had a packet of glutinous rice flour in the pantry but I was mistaken so I could not make the glutinous rice ball or 'tong yuen ' ....lame excuse haha actually I was too lazy to go out and buy that packet of glutinous rice flour . No excuse I know but the fact remains we have no glutinous rice balls for the celebration :( so instead I offered Daddy this ... Nata De Coco Soy Jellies :))) Can? haha of course it won't be the same but I promised Daddy I will make this glutinous rice balls for him and my Piggies on Xmas day....to make up for not making them today! Replacement for today's MIA ! My days are shortening and my nights are lengthening alright! LOL!

this is the family favourite...wobbly and smooth ...melts

in the mouth - Soy Jellies with Nata De Coco

I told Daddy just eat it and pretends it is the ' tong yuen ' LOL!

of course he gobbled the wobbly jellies in seconds and asked

for more...so all is forgiven :))

a delicious dessert after a hearty dinner in place

of the glutinous rice balls or ' tong yuen '

okay...I know it is unforgiveable but I was

too busy baking something else :p

I told Daddy to click here to drool if he misses

the tong yuen I made last year LOL!

Naughty Momsie :P

Click here for the recipe...use Nata De Coco instead of peaches

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Burdock Root Soup

A nourishing and detoxifying Burdock Root Soup that was simmered for 3 hours with red dates and chicken is today’s highlight . The japanese call this ‘Gobo’ ( poor man’s potatoes ) and the Chinese call it ‘ Ngau Pong ’ in Cantonese. Don’t ask me why it is called ‘ Ngau Pong’..maybe some of you can tell me what ' ngau pong ' means :p

Burdock is primarily a tonic and alterative herb. The cumulative effect of its use is said to bring a subtle strengthening and cleansing to the entire system. Good for removing toxins from our blood – a blood purifier ! It is popular in Japan as a source of vitamin and other nutrients. Japanese served this as a light japanese salad – julienned and cooked lightly with light soy sauce, sweet rice wine, chopped green onions and sesame seeds. I cook a nutritious soup with this burdock for the family. I have yet to use them in salad…..it is tasty and sweet in soup so I will definitely cook this again for the family.

It is aromatic and sweet and I love the subtle woody root smell. A simple and delicious burdock root soup that is so enriched with vits and nutrients. After tucking in so much of oven baked stuff the whole week ..this is good for detoxification :)) It also helps in clearing up skin conditions as psoriasis and dry, scaly eczema. Wow…it even helps reduce blood sugar levels ! Hah…I am slowly turning into a health freak….am I ? :p

burdock root from Japan

simmered for 3 hours under low heat

you can boil the burdock root with wolfberries too

Burdock Root Soup

(Serves 2 person )

Ingredients:

1 stick of burdock root- cut into a few pieces

8 red dates

1/2 chicken - cut into pieces

1700 litres water

salt to taste

Preparation:

Boil 1.7 litres of water in a pot under high heat. When the water boils put in the chicken pieces and boil under medium heat till the scum surfaces. Scoop off the scum from the surface, lower heat and add in the burdock root and red dates and continues to simmer the soup for 3 hours under low heat. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

Quote for the day

" A home is a place where a pot of fresh soup

simmers gently on the hob, filling the kitchen

with soft aromas...and filling your heart, and

later your tummy, with joy. "

~ Keith Floyd ~

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Flaky Pastry Chicken Pie

I have been busy baking cakes for friends the last few days who have specifically asked me to help bake cakes for them, so I could not find the time to blog about this wonderful , crispy and yummilicious flaky chicken pie using oat flour. This is my first time trying out this flaky pastry inspired by the cookbook ' Oats Delicieux ' . I used half flour and half oat flour and it turned out fantastic. Crispy and flaky and the aroma of the oats after baking was fabulous and I will definitely make this pastry again for my other pies. I will try using a 100% oat flour for this pastry the next time round. It will gluten free and healthier too :))

I cut out little hearts for decoration

play time is fun even for old adult who wants

to feel 25 all the time LOL!

remember for pies remember always cut a slit in the

center of the pie to let off steam as it bakes

look ....how wonderfully crispy and flaky it is

it is great to use oat flour for this flaky pastry

Yessss....I love this and I am definitely going to use

this pastry again for my other pies :))

Flaky Pastry Chicken Pie

Ingredients for the flaky pastry

100 gm plain four

150 gm oat flour ( you can use instant oat and blend into flour using the food processor )

60 gm butter - cold cut into cubes

115 gm pastry margarine

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp lime juice

110-150 ml ice cold water

Method:

Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add in the oat flour. Rub butter into the flour mixture till it resembles breadcrumbs. ( Do not overwork the mixture ) Mix the ice water with lime juice ans slowly pour into the flour mixture, stirring with a spoon or palette . Stop adding the water as soon as the mixture starts to bind together. (You may not need all the water or you need a little bit more water. Allow the look and feel to guide you ) Knead the dough lightly, do not overdo it or your pastry will starts to get elastic and tough.

Pat the pastry into a ball and wrap in plastic, refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Roll the pastry into a rectangular about 5 mm thick and dot half the pastry margarine on the center of the rectangular ( please refer to the steps as shown in the pictures above ) and fold the left side over the margarine. Place the remaining margarine on top of the fold and fold the right segment over the margarine.

Roll out into a rectagular and fold again , the same steps as above but this time without any margarine. Chill it for 15 mins. Repeat the process one more time and the pastry is ready for use.

Roll out the puff to 3 mm thick. Cut into rounds big enough to cover your ramekin or over proof pie dishes. Spoon some prepared filling ( click here for the recipe ) into each ramekin or over proof pie dish. Place another piece of cut out pastry over and make a slight slit on top of the pastry ( to allow steam to escape during baking) Glaze pastry with beaten egg.

Baked in preheated oven at 200º C until golden brown for 25-30 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

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Roasted Potato With Rosemary And Cheyenne Pepper

I love this 50's song..... I like the Michael Buble's version

nothing relevant but I am happily singing it while blogging.....:)))

Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like On a-Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby , kiss me

I made Daddy prepare this while I go for my brisk walk.... gave him strict instructions to boil the russet potato till tender, peel off the skin and cut into chunks.... I will do the rest when I am back. I told him I am going to make something nice for him and I know he loves potatoes....that's how I bribe bully him everyday (",) Otherwise , when can I find the time to go for my exercise if I am to be stuck in the kitchen all the time . Make use of the free helper...God says husbands are not just our soulmates but also our helpers ( free one too ) ;p Did I remember the bible well ? LOL! We don't feel like eating rice today , so we opted for toast bread with chargrilled tuna and salad and of course this special potato - Roasted Potato With Rosemary & Cheyenne Pepper.... simply delish!

this is so peppery hot and the rosemary fragrance infused

into the potato ...mmmmm delicious !

a peek into what we had for dinner...yesss...

toast bread with chargrilled tuna

and garden salad and today special

roasted potato with rosemary & cheyenne pepper

I can eat this everyday...simple yet delicious

this chargrilled tuna is from Jusco

RM4.90 for a small can.....makes life easier for me :p

Roasted Potato With Rosemary & Cheyenne Pepper

(serves 2 )

Ingredients :

3 medium sized Russet Potatoes - washed

1 tsp sea salt

5 sprigs of fresh Rosemary herb

olive oil

cheyenne pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 200º C .

Boil the potatoes with 1 tsp of sea salt until just tender .

Drain and peel off the skin, cut into chunks.

Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray

with fresh rosemary and sprinkle cheyenne pepper all over the potatoes.

Then drizzle the olive oil all over the potatoes.

Bake for 35- 40 minutes until the potatoes turn crispy on the outside

and the flesh are tender .

Serve as a side dish .

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