Friday, March 26, 2010
Sweet tooth
Banana walnut cakes and scones are baked almost every week so this time along with them, I tried a simple sponge cake. I have 2 tubs of cream cheese so I decided to do a cream cheese filling instead of butter cream. I dusted some cocoa powder for a little more flavour! I made a thin layer, divided in into halves and had only 4 slices instead of a whole lot.
-- Post From My iPhone
Thursday, March 18, 2010
IndoChinese Fried Rice
Chinese because it has soy sauce. Indie because it has corriander & chilli powder in it :) a simple dinner for it's vegetarian but I added sausages to my Husbands plate as he always likes something on the side.
-- Post From My iPhone
Simple Sweet Scones
Yesterday I went for my Glucose Test in Centrum early in the morning on an empty stomach. I had to gulp down a whole glass of syrup! Yes it was super sweet and not in a good way.2 hours of waiting got me really hungry! After that we went to have breakfast at "Waynes Coffee" I had coffee instead of hot chocolate. Been crazy over caffeine lately. Alvin and I shared some savoury chicken sandwich.
We walked around centrum- H&M basically. Alvin did shopping for both himself and Aaren. Unfortunately I didn't see anything worth buying. Then a short walk to Bokia but sadly I couldn't find any Novels worth reading either!
Just two shops away from Bokia, there is a cafe. Emily had brought me to Siesta Cafe during my last pregnancy and introduced me to this really yummy cake. I still dunno what it's called but it seems only this particular cafe has it. I couldn't resist so I went and got myself 2 slices of cake and a scone.
Today, I felt like having scones again... Filling but light and not much sugar or guilt involved. It took me 1/2 an hour from measuring ingredients to putting the first bite in my mouth. Unimaginably fast and yummy :) and the ingredients are always available in the house!
You can have it with your choice of jam, butter or cheese :) best enjoyed warm. Can be frozen and stored away for up to 2 weeks. Simply reheat in microwave at high for 1 minute!
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Lunch Date
I had a friend over for lunch today. It didn't take me more than 1.5 hours to prepare these:
This was lunch for Alvin as well so I had to prepare it by 1130am. It had to be stored away in the oven and i didn't secure the foil tight enough thus it got a little dry :( the aloo ki tikki was okay just a tad bit too salty for my liking. I don't think anyone can go wrong with Raita so yeah... A simple hearty lunch.
When you have good company time flies and today was no exception. We chatted away til 5plus and then it was time for exchanging good byes.., til the next time :)
-- Post From My iPhone
28 Weeks
This pregnancy seems to just glide by. I remember with Aaren I was waiting anxiously for the first trimester to be over and with baby number 2,I'm already in the third trimester!
Yesterday at 1305hrs, after we came back from a nice walk... Hardly 3km but it took me an hour. I enjoyed every bit of it. It was great feeling the sun on my face.
Looking at the ducks and seagulls and swans! Beautiful I tell ya!
Alvin went off to get us some take away lunch and I fed aaren some choc cereal and sat down with a big glass of water.
My tummy tightened and the sides of my tummy felt a familiar pressure... A pain I remember going thru in my first pregnancy... Only then it was when I was in labour. I was panicking! I was having contractions and this early? At 28 weeks!!
I called the emergency number and was directed to the delivery ward. The midwife I spoke to asked me about my symptoms and said it'll be best if I could come for a check up.
They hooked up a machine on me to monitor the contractions & Baby's heart rate. They did a cervix check to ensure that the contractions were not altering it in anyway. An ultrasound to check on our baby, her position and the amount of amniotic fluid. Also if the placenta was fine and intact. Baby has already assumed the head down position and was moving actively.
Thank god everything was fine and after all the checks I was free to go... I am having contractions according to the midwife but since it's not effacing the cervix so there is no cause for concern.
With strict instructions to get as much bed rest as I could and not lift any heavy stuff I was sent home. Those 2 hours that I was there, all I could do was pray and hope that I don't go into early labour. It's way too early... At least another 9-10 weeks. So baby dear hang in there, we're awaiting your arrival but there still is alot of growing and developing to do inside...
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, March 12, 2010
Claypot Chicken Rice
Yet another simple and quick one pot meal. A complete nutritional one with grains, shitake mushrooms, chicken bits and seasonings.I added a chicken sausage as substitute to the Chinese sausage. Garnished with spring onions because Colours do make a dish more appealing so I use herbs and garnishes in my daily cooking!
The chicken breast meat was marinated with sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, a dash of salt & pepper and cornflour. I had to cook the chicken and mushrooms til 1/2 done before combining it with the rice which was 1/2 way thru the cooking process.
I sauteed some garlic together with the washed and drained rice then added a lil dark and light soy sauce and a dash of pepper.
By the time the rice finished it's cooking process, the chicken that I had added on top of it was cooked, tender, juicy & succulent
I didn't use a claypot. Cooked it in the conventional rice cooker and i still got pretty good results! The smoky flavour with burnt bits :)
-- Post From My iPhone
My very own recipe: Egg Biryani
I hate being clueless about what to cook so each night before I tuck in, I plan the next days' meal.
Last night I pondered hard and long but I couldn't come up with anything. I knew I needed to use up the 2 cartons of 15 eggs each before they expire.
I was over zealeous and had asked Alvin to stock up on my baking supplies so that I can bake whenever I want. Unfortunately the guilt caught up with me and I decided to stay clear of the fatty, sugary stuff which isn't just empty calories but also something that's gonna haunt me after my delivery.
I woke up this morning and started off with chopping the basic ingredients that are required by almost every Indian dish- onions, tomatoes, chillies and some Ginger & garlic paste. Corriander & mint leaves for garnishing
Lazy me is always thinking of cutting down on work these days- a one pot meal is what I need... Eggs, rice all in the same dish. Biryani! That's it I'll make egg biryani I decided.
When one thinks of Biryani, the things that immediately come to mind are- rich, mughalai, orangy tints, nuts& raisins, basmati and aromatic!
So to begin off with Aroma, I heated a little oil in a heavy bottomed pan, added cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Once the aroma filled the air, I added all the chopped veges and stirred ocassionally. I also added in some of my garnishings and some raisins. I didn't want to use water as the base for my gravy cuz it'll be too bland. I did think of milk but then it's too watery so I went ahead and added half a cup of yoghurt.
To spice things up, I added some garam masala, chilli powder and a little turmeric powder and salt. while this simmered, I took another pot, added water, cumin seeds and a little oil and put it to boil. I washed and drained the basmati rice and added it to the boiling water allowing it to cook till it was 3/4 done.
I then drained the rice and kept it aside.I oiled one of my Pyrex glass dishes, lined a layer of rice, added the sliced hard boiled eggs, topped it with a little gravy and repeated the process till all the gravy and rice was used up.
I covered they dish with aluminium foil and put it to bake in a preheated oven at 200 degs for 10 mins.
Remove, garnish and serve hot!
I didn't expect much from it... So long it was edible would have been good.
Alvin and I really loved the flavours. Very distinct. Not only was it light and fluffy, you could taste every component in it. The sweetness from the raisins, the tinge of sourness from the yoghurt, the fresh Mint and corriander. It was really delicious!
Alvin said and I quote " each time you try to create your own or modify another recipe instead of following it, the results are always much better!" now you know what keeps me experimenting ;) having someone appreciate your efforts and give constructive feedback.
This one was so spontaneous and it came out really yummy. It's going to my one pot meals favourites folder!
Anyway all I used were the Pyrex ware and 2 small pots. All the washing is done and my food is conveniently stored in the pyrexware which will be the only thing I have to wash before bed tonight hee!!!
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Curry Puffs, Epok-Epok, Karipap
One dish known by many names but no matter what you call it, it's delicious! I don't think I actually had cravings for this one until Alvin mentioned the magic words one fine day.
The quest for a good recipe then began. I've made samosas before but the texture of both the pastries vary a little. Samosas call for a thicker crust while curry puffs need a lighter but crunchy wrap. The fillings are almost the same, depending on your taste. They also have another variation of the curry puffs; sardine puffs!
I made them this afternoon. I only made 12 pieces but I 'll be making them again pretty soon if I don't get sick of the 12 today ;)
The even colour comes from frying them in a good amount of oil, evenly heated
The filling was made ehile the dough for the pastry was sitting for 20 minutes. It took me about an hour and a half to make everything from dough, fillings to frying them! Perfect for last minute tea time guests.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Weekend Specials
Alvin and I decided to be vegetarians all week and only have non-vege food on weekends only.
I didn't want to cook the same old thing I always do.
I used salmon which was lightly pan fried and dumped all the vegs( chilli, green onion, red onion, brinjal after a tasks of mustard, fennel, Ginger n garlic) and the Asam pedas paste : 20 minutes to simmer or til veges soften!serve hot ;)
Sunday, Alvin requested for chicken curry. How can I ever say no to him ;) so I whipped up a spicy chicken curry dish that was based on yoghurt. A little more flavourful than adding plain water also the consistency of the gravy can never go wrong with yoghurt... It also aids digestion :) served with plain basmati rice with roasted cashewnuts and raisins and a salad made of ground peanuts, cucumber, carrots, sesame seeds, sugar salt n vinegar for that extra crunch!
Friday, March 05, 2010
Quick & Easy
Before I got married, I used to see how mum
got all stressed up about what to cook at each meal. I used to mock her cuz I thought the possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking. She cooked mostly vegetarian meals because both dad and she are vegetarians.
Now each day I am faced with the same dilemma. Though I can also cook non vege dishes and I should have more options than what mummy had... If you're a housewife and you got to cook daily, I am pretty sure you've been thru this yourself and know exactly what I mean.
Today I was home alone with my little tod all day. Not wanting anything too heavy, I decided on experimenting with something soupy... I always have a ready supply of egg noodles and basics such as onions, chicken breasts etc at home so here's what I did- I put a pot of water to boil, added some crushed Ginger,peppercorns, spring onions, a lil green onions, a small piece of chicken breast, a dash of salt, a dash of sesame oil and soy sauce. Simmer for about 1/2 an hour, add egg noodles and viola!
A warm bowl of chicken noodle soup-
-- Post From My iPhone
Thursday, March 04, 2010
My search finally ends!
It's rather simple to make a pizza provided you have a good recipe. I've tried various recipes but could never achieve the results I desired with the crust. It either turned out too thin, too chewy or too soggy... Today my search officially ends! Yes! I have the perfect pizza crust recipe.
Pizzas are a pretty wholesome meal. Simple yet yummy and depending on what the toppings are, they can be healthy too.
My Vege pizza took approx 1hr to proof and 20 minutes to bake!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Tea time with friends
The weather has taken a turn for the better and since the sun is out, it's now time for everyone to be up and about. My friends were over at my place for tea today and it was fun. Nice to see em' after such a long time.
I tried making sabudana vada( sago & potato patties with nuts)something I learnt from mummy. She still makes them on Mondays when she and daddy fast..
Not bad for a first timer but I could have added more flavour I believe. I was glad they didn't disintergrate though no binder(bread crumbs, eggs,flour etc) was used.
Masala tea served with the cookies I've baked and banana walnut cake. One of my friends brought along yummy homemade kueh dadar while the other pal got some great bites from the confectionery.( I forgot to take pix of em' :(
Time flies when one has good company and today was no exeption. Gals, we should do this more often!
What say?!
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Feeding my appetite
I'm in the 25th week of my pregnancy. All this time I was suffering from pretty bad nausea to the extent where I had to be rushed to the A&E and the docs recommended to put me on drips. Of course I opted out and suggested I take an alternative instead. How could I leave my lil boy alone? Even if just for 24 hrs?
I took home some suppositories and thank god they worked. I could at least keep some food down.
Soon after, my appetite got back to normal and recently, the cravings kicked in.
Yes, this is not Singapore. You don't just get what you crave for from a stall. You've got to get down to making it yourself from scratch.
My good friend Emily had baked some goodies for the Chinese New Year and she was sweet enough to share them with me.Her kueh tarts were marvellous and then there was my all time fave kueh bangkit and cashew cookies!I gobbled them up faster than you could count em'...and that's how it started!
Craving #1-
I craved the pineapple tarts so bad that my hubby decided to bake them for me. It was past 8pm on a cold wintry night and it was snowing like crazy yet my darling went out and got me the ingredients.we embarked on our project close to 9pm. The dough for the tart was done in no time but the pineapple filling had to be blended, cooked and seasoned and that took up more than an hour.Without the traditional cookie cutter, we decided to do rolls instead and yes! Our efforts paid off. We made close to 100 rolls and are still feasting on them a week later!
I've also been drawn to bananas... Banana walnut cake to be exact! I've baked them at least 4 times in the past month. Not only is it filling, I can have them without feeling guilty...fruits and nuts can never cause any harm to our health ;)
One fine afternoon when Aaren was napping, I decided I needed something else to munch on. Something easy to make and tantalizing of course... So here you are: pandan & dessicated coconut cookies!
The cottony Japanese cheesecake! Now if you haven't tried this before, you don't know what you've been missing! It's on the top of my list and I just had to have it. Emily to the rescue again! I got her to teach me how to bake one and there u go! Best to be taken chilled...a day after baking!
Today I baked about 100 pieces of cashew cookies to have with some masala chai.
That's all for bakes for the past 2 weeks... Let's see what new cravings the days ahead bring!
Monday, March 01, 2010
White washed
Since late November, it's been soo cold and grey... Ice and snow everywhere.Everything is white-washed. I would rather stay indoors than to put on many layers of clothings just to go out in this freezing weather. I am looking out of the window and these are my thoughts-
I miss the feel of the sun on my face
I miss the warm winds embrace
I miss those long walks we used to take
I miss the colours and the different shades
It's been so cold and grey
The birds no longer sing and play
I don't see anyone on the swing no more
Everything just looks cold and sore
The white hills, the white roads
Even the water has now froze
The darkness descends before you see light
And stays on... adding to ones plight
But things will change I am sure
For I hear Spring is near
I see a little Sun these days
And the rains are washing the whites away...
I can hardly wait for summer
Life will again be filled with colours
The birds will start to sing...
The sun will give life a whole new meaning :)
-- Post From My iPhone
