Refreshing Garden Salad :)

You better believe this…this is what I had for dinner..I simply put all these veggies and fruits together, make my own croutons, whip up my signature salad dressing and add in cheddar cheese and sprinkle parmesan onto the salad …yuppy I managed to put together a colorful , delicious and full of nutrients salad. And top it with raw walnuts…awww it was a flavorful salad and it was captivating and delicious yum yum !

for the salad : green apple, grapefruit, tomato roma,

red capsicum, red and green corals,

chopped red capsicum, italian parsley, garlic
black peppercorns , sea salt and olive oil
makes my signature salad dressing :)
roasted red capsicum, remove the skin and cut into chunks
wheatmeal bread toasted with olive oil in heated oven
till crunchy becomes croutons..:)

cheddar and parmesan cheese added for extra flavor

pour the salad dressing onto the salad when ready

to serve....mmmm

a picture is worth a thousand words...

awww...the raw walnuts gave the salad the crunch......

the combination of flavors and textures is amazing !!!

Have a nice day !

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A Real Classic Butter Cake

I seldom make butter cake and this artery clogging cake is Daddy’s favourite…the plain classic one. He always complained that I make nice cakes for the kids but what he likes I won’t make for him….ahem “ you have to be cruel to be kind “ heard of this ? I am actually kind to him by not baking butter cake for him coz it is not good for him. I know he can finish one whole butter cake all by himself in a day….and it can be disastrous to his health :(

But for this once , I decided to make one for him… but I shared out the cake with Claire and a few friends so that he doesn’t get to eat the whole cake all by himself…smart Momsie…rite? More people less share applys in this case LOL!

I once again took Amy Ong’s butter cake recipe from her blog - Cooking Crave . I know all her recipes are foolproof , so I make Daddy his favourite cake – the cake he wanted most – finally he gets to savour it :))

the butter cake has a fluffy and yet moist texture

and has a rich buttery taste

' Golden Churn ' brand butter gave the cake

the classic buttery taste...yum..yumm

rich and moist buttery taste....

makes Daddy happy but Momsie unhappy :(

this is a real classic butter cake...ask Claire , she

will tell you how good the cake is.....

I just found out that she loves butter cake too! :))

‘ Golden Churn’ Butter Cake ( taken from Cooking Crave )

Ingredients:

(A)

250 gm Butter ( SCS or Golden Churn Brand) - softened
85 gm Castor Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essense
A pinch of Salt
4 Egg Yolks
1 tbsp Milk
200 gm Cake Flour (if self-raising flour are used, just omit the 5 gm baking powder)
5 gm/ 1 tsp Baking Powder

(B)
4 egg whites
85 gm castor sugar

Method:

1.  Preheat oven at 175 C . Grease or line the 8" baking pan.

2.  Sift together flour and baking powser. Set aside.

3.  Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla essence until creamy and light.

4.  Add in egg yolks, one at at time and beat until creamy. Add in milk and mix well.

5.  Fold in the sifted flour, slowly spoon by spoon into mixture till swell mixed.

6.  In a separate clean bowl, whisk eggs whites till foamy then add in sugar gradually. Beat to a soft peak and fold 1/4 into butter mixture. Mix well and fold in the rest.

7.  Pour batter into pan and bake at 175 C for about 40-45 mins or until cooked ( insert a skewer in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean )

Enjoy!

Quote of the day

" A smiling face is half the meal "

~ Latvian Proverb ~

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Soft Boiled Egg On Toast

Soft boiled egg in its glorious state…with its smooth quivery texture and a runny yolk sitting on a slice of well toasted wholemeal bread…shake some pepper over it and some light soy sauce for taste. And end the breakfast with a cup of hot black coffee…awww this is really a perfect breakfast to start a new day ! I could only afford to eat this twice a month…:)) age factor , so have to cut down on this sinfully yummy protein & cholesterol rich goodness !

This is what I had for my breakfast this morning. As usual, while waiting for Daddy to be ready…I stole some moments to take snap shots of what I had this morning :p Camera lens don’t lie ….behold …a picture captured with the saliva inducing peppered soft boiled egg on top a slice of toasted wholemeal bread!

I normally have a cup of oats with some raisins thrown in or at times nuts like walnuts , almonds and a tablespoon of wheatgerm stirred in. I don’t mind having oats everyday…a fiber dietary enriched with vitamins and minerals but I do look forward to something different once in a while….example like this soft boiled eggs on toast! I can’t eat this everyday but I can come here to drool everyday LOL! * illusions will take its course :p . This is how I make myself happy. A cup of oats in one hand and these virtual pictures to ogle at on other mornings….a perfect start to begin a new day :)) What about you? Tell me what you usually have for your breakfast? :))

this is one famous item served in " kopitiam "
if I am not mistaken kopitiam meant coffee shop in Hokkien language

a delightful picture captured through the lens
saliva inducing peppered soft boiled egg

on a slice of well toasted wholemeal bread!

I wish I was a decade younger...... wishful thinking :p

could have this everyday and doesn't need to come here

to drool ;p

Soft Boiled Egg On Toast


2 slices of well toasted wholemeal bread

2 eggs – soft boiled
a shake of white pepper
a shake of light soy sauce

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Salted Egg Yolk Tofu

I saw this recipe on Gertrude's blog - My Kitchen Snippets and the first thing I say to myself was this " gosh..I have to cook this tonite for dinner " I am a tofu lover and this is something new , cooking tofu with salted egg yolk. Gertrude, " this is a great dish and you are so innovative when it comes to cooking and baking " :) " I salute you " :)) and I will be cooking this again for my Piggies when they come back this weekend. They love tofu just like me :)) Normally, I will cook chicken or prawns this style but tofu..this is the first time and it turned out wonderful. A simple yet delicious dish. The salted egg does add flavor and taste to the tofu. When my Piggies see these, they will salivate for sure :))

Daddy loves it too. I used japanese egg tofu instead of the white firm tofu and it tasted just as good. My colleague , Claire of Caring Is Not Only Sharing would love this dish. She is learning to cook now :)

japanese tofu -golden & crispy on the outside

a plate of yummilicious tofu goodness

this is one dish to die for...simple to prepare and yet

delicious....aromatic too!


Thanks Gertrude for sharing this awesome tofu dish :)
I love it so much!

Salted Egg Yolk Tofu  - taken from My Kitchen's Snippets

Ingredients:

3 pieces of firm tofu -cut into 1” length
¼ cup of corn flour
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp pepper

Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
2 cooked salted egg yolks, mashed
3 tbsp of milk
4 bird’s eye chilies, sliced finely
4-5 curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp chicken bullion
1 tsp sugar

method:

1. Cut the tofu and drain dry on paper towel. Combined corn flour, salt and pepper in a plate. Mix well. Dust the tofu with the corn flour. Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan and pan fried the tofu on both side until lightly brown. Dish out and drain the oil on paper towel.
2. Remove any access oil from the frying pan. Melt the butter and add the curry leaves and chilies. Stir fry until fragrant and add in salted egg yolks and milk. Stir rapidly in a circular motion until well mixed. Add in chicken bullion and sugar. Mix well.
3. Add the tofu and coat well in the mixture. Dish out and serve warm.

*             *            *

Flavorsome Roasted Potato

I really don’t know what to do with this packet of US potatoes that I had bought a week ago from Jusco. Searching for a recipe that is simple and yet delicious is not hard..there are thousands of them in internet. After looking through recipes after recipes, I decided to put them together and create one that is delicious and am sure Daddy would love too. This is the most important factor when it comes to a new recipe :p I know the other half loves US potatoes…its more fluffy compared to others :) so be it...Flavorsome Roasted Potato ! :)))

I ransacked my pantry and found these items - garlic salt, dried parsley, paprika and ground black pepper …whoa..perfect for this roasted potato that I was going to make for our lunch. It took me just 20 minutes to cook the potatoes to tender. Drain dry and cut them into wedges. Place them on parchment lined tray. Sprinkle garlic salt on them evenly, followed by black pepper, parsley , paprika and drizzle lots of olive oil over them. Garnish them with grated mozzarella cheese. Bakethe wedges in the preheated oven at 200° C for 30 minutes or less until the mozzarella has melted and the potato skins are crispy. Take out and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the roasted wedges. Simple to prepare and the end result, a tray of delicious flavorful wedges to satiated our hungry stomach. We had this for lunch, with a bowl of mushroom soup out of a tin and grapefruit for dessert. It was a great Sunday lunch for us!

sprinkle garlic salt, parsley, black pepper and paprika

over the wedges and drizzle olive oil generously

all over the wedges

garnish grated mozzarela on the wedges and baked

for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 200° C

sprinkle parmesan cheese all over the wedges before serving...

mmmmm the smell was mouthwatering :p

crispy on the outside with tender flesh inside ,

flavorful and the cheesilicious-ness makes

the wedges more yummy....mmmm

a close- up view of this deliciousness....

what can I say...... yummm with my mouth full

Flavorsome Roasted Potato

( for two persons )

Ingredients:

3 large US potatoes - cleaned and cut into wedges with skin on

garlic salt

ground black pepper

paprika

dried parsley

olive oil

mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

Follow the steps as written earlier on 2nd paragraph of post :p

( too lazy to write again )

^___________^

Quote of the day :

" In cooking, as in all the arts, simplicity is

the sign of perfection "

~ Curnonsky ~

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Sambal Tumis Petai / Spicy & Tangy Stink Beans

Sambal Tumis Petai/ Spicy & Tangy Stink Bean is the family's favourite dish . I can cook it everyday and it will still bring a smile to Daddy's face. It is such an appetizing dish..you can eat it with plain hot rice or in coconut rice/nasi lemak style. Most Malaysians would love this dish and I am glad that I could cook this well (",) and my kids love them :))) but there are many who find the strong smell pervasive but my family love it :) It is best cooked in sambal for it will be more flavorful. We had this last Sunday nite. Now it's time to post up and share about it before I forget again :)))

Petai beans or seeds look like broad beans. Like mature broad beans, they may have to be peeled before cooking. Petai has earned its nickname 'stink bean' because its strong smell is very pervasive. It lingers in the mouth and body. Like asparagus, it contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to one's urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption. Like other beans, their complex carbohydrates can also cause strong-smelling flatulence. Stink bean or petai in our local language is good for health...good for the kidney and the skin can be eaten and has medicinal value for those who are diabetic...mmmm is it old tales or what...I have to find out . It does taste good when combined with other flavored food such as garlic, chilli and dried shrimps.

one thing to take note is this...stink bean has to be split open into

half to see if they have worms in them...at times I have to throw away

almost half a packet :p Imagine even worms love them (",)

cooked it with sambal...a dish to die for ;p

saute the sambal ingredients till aromatic, add in the beans

and seafood of your choice, last add in the tamarind paste

Petai or Stink bean is best taken cooked in this sambal style :)

and it can be eaten raw too :)

Sambal Petai Tumis/ Spicy & Tangy Stink Beans

Ingredients:

200 gm petai/stink bean ( ready ones from super market)

2 squids- cut into pieces

1/2 kg medium size shrimps - cleaned and deveined

(A)

15 shallots - sliced thinly

1 thumb sized belacan /dried shrimps paste

4 - 5 tbsp of ground chilli paste ( depend on how spicy u want)

1 stalk serai - pound fine in a pestle

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup thick tamarind juice

* optional - salt and sugar

Preparation:

Saute ingredient A together with 1/3 cup of olive oil in a wok over medium heat till aromatic and the oil surfaced to the top. Add in the petai/stink beans and stir fry together for 10 minutes till it is well incorporated with the sambal paste. Add in the seafood and tamarind juice and slowly cook till the petai/stink beans and seafood are cooked. Add in a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp sugar for taste if it is not to taste. Dish up and serve with rice or nasi lemak/ coconut rice.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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Vermicelli In Wakame Soup

Wakame is a kelp and looks and taste like spinach lasagna. Study shows Wakame content is rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and dietary fiber. Research showed that Wakame kelp can help reduce risks of Breast Cancer, Hypertension and Diabetics. Wow...lotz of goodness in this wakame kelp.

Vermicelli is one comfort food when one is not well or when one wants something light for dinner, breakfast or even supper. I love it either in soup or as fried vermicelli. Last nite, we both decided to have something light for dinner and so I cooked wakame soup to go with the vermicelli. Added carrots and eggs into the soup.... a delicious bowl of yummilicious-ness!

the famous Sitiawan Mee Suah/vermicelli

this vermicelli is a versatile noodle that can be taken

with soup or stir- fry with seafood

dried wakame.....taste like spinach lasagna

rich in protein, iodine, calcium ,magnesium, iron and dietary fiber

easy and simple to whip up bowl of vermicelli in wakame soup

added in carrots and eggs...a bowl of yummilicious-ness :)

Vermicelli In Wakame Soup

Ingredients:

1 bundle of vermicelli

1 tbsp of dried wakame - soaked in water for 2 mins

1/2 carrot - sliced

1 egg

350 ml of stock/water

a teasp of sea salt

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tbsp of fried garlic

Preparation

Wakame Soup :

Boil 350 ml of water in a pot over medium heat. When water boils add in the wakame , carrots and boil for 8 minutes, add in the salt and olive oil , off the heat. Add in the egg slowly and lightly stir them in soup with a fork to get the thin thread effect.

Vermicelli:

Boil 1/2 pot of water. When the water boils add in the vermicelli and cook for 3 minutes, take out the vermicelli and drain off water. Serve in a bowl and pour in the wakame soup and garnish with the fried garlic and eat immediately

Enjoy!

Quote for the day :

" Happy and successful cooking doesn't rely only on know-how;

it comes from the heart, makes great demands on the palate and

needs enthusiasm and a deep love of food to bring it to life"

~ Georges Blanc - from " Ma Cuisine des Saisons" ~

~*~*~*~*~

Steamed Red Snapper With Ginger Paste

After having had so much of those artery clogging deliciousness the past few days, I am now back to healthy diet…either I am trying to hookwink the body system or rather trying to make myself feel good after all the partaking of the sinfully rich birthday cake and the scrumptious lunch :))

Last nite dinner was just a simple affair , Steamed Red Snapper With Ginger Paste . Ohhh…this was so delicious and the natural sweetness of the fish with the aromatic ginger paste was really good. I agree that simplicity is deliciousness . A simple and easy dish that took just 10 minutes to prepare and you get a steaming hot delicious Steamed Red Snapper With Ginger Paste ! Good for those rushing for time, especially this Momsie when she has a baking assignment to do :p

I steamed fish fillet in 8 minutes...I want it just cooked

but if you want it more well done then 10 minutes would be just nice

a simple yet delicious steamed fish

in just ginger paste and sea salt

I added some celery leaves for garnishing :))

Steamed Red Snapper With Ginger Paste

Ingredients:

1 piece of Red Snapper fillet

½ tsp of sea salt

1 thumb sized old ginger – chopped finely/blend into paste

½ tbsp of olive oil

Preparation:

Wash and clean the red snapper fillet and rub salt on both sides. Place the piece of fillet on a steaming plate and brush on the ginger paste onto the surface of the fish fillet. Add olive oil on the fish and steamed for 8 to 10 minutes over hot boiling water. Add some celery leaves or chinese parsley on the fish as garnishing. Serve hot .

Enjoy !

** A special note to Claire of Caring Is Not Only Sharing - thanks for the birthday lunch today , I enjoyed the food and your company very much… (what do you expect when two female bloggers, who thinks they are forever 25 yrs old , sit together and have a lunch date ) ** :p

Elin's Birthday Cake Revealed :))

I had the most enjoyable early birthday celebration with my Piggies. A few years back , birthday celebrations were just normal occasions whereby I received birthday gifts from the Piggies and hubby and was ‘Queen’ for the day, but this year the feeling was a bit different though….maybe it was the reality that age is really catching up that I felt different LOL! A lovely surprise indeed… besides a scrumptious lunch treat given by them, they gave me a beautiful book “ Cooks Quotations” , a collection of fine paintings and the best cooking quotes…wheeee…I am delighted with this gift :)

Surprisingly, last weekend, I did not plan to bake a cake at all . I thought of baking lemon pies for them as an after dinner dessert but since they have given me a treat, I have to bake this Chocolate Cheese Sandwich as a celebration cake. Since I have all the ingredients in the fridge drawer, I proceeded to bake this cake ( I learnt this cake from the baking class I attended sometime back ) . Luckily it turned out delectable. I won’t be posting up the recipe as it would not be right for me to do so :)) I managed to top it with a rich chocolate frosting in less than 4 hours…just in time for dessert and some picture taking…Super Mom ? :p

This cake was made out of love for my Piggies…Josh loves anything chocolatey and Jo loves anything cheesy and it was a great combo ! Do you like the cake decoration ? Is Momsie Elin creative enough ? :p My Piggies were thrilled to bits with the simple decoration . I plucked the ‘naughty boy’ from the garden (this plant blooms through out the year :) and it does complement the cake though. Excuse the poor workmanship..I am no pro but seeing the delightful expression on the Piggies’ faces as they savoured the cake was a joy no money could buy . Joy in my heart was the best gift God could have given to me for my birthday :)) . The candle, I stole from the kitchen pantry meant for something else LOL! Certainly not a candle for a birthday cake but who cares :p

Chocolate Cheese Sandwich...a delectable piece of cake to die for :p

a virtual piece for all of you who came here to wish me

Happy Birthday :p... .the wicked Elin thanking all of you

for the wonderful birthday wishes! :))))

I shared the rest with my colleagues...Lyn, Claire and Nancy

lucky angels !

the naughty Daddy...gotcha!...he thinks he looks cute !

Josh, Elin and Jo

the 3 musketeers can't wait to blow out the candle

and eat the cake :p

a beautiful book from the Piggies

an ideal gift for me who enjoys cooking :))

Thanks Piggies for this....I love it!

Thank you to all my friends and readers

who came here to wish me Happy Birthday ....... :)))))))

“ The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love for those you are cooking for. ” 

- Sophia Loren