Peaches and Donuts

More Street Art around East London

2012-02-26T10:37:00.001Z

One thing I really love about London is that there are always areas to explore. In some cases, there may even be new things popping in the same area. One location where this happens would be in and around Brick Lane. A couple of months back, we joined the Alternative London tour and saw London in a whole new light! Today, the sun was shining and made for a good day out so we decided to revisit the area as we wanted to look for new pieces of street art and the husband wanted to take some street photography. (Shameless promotion alert! :P) Here are some of his photos just in case you are interested to take a look. Yes, he takes much better photos than I do!!! :)

OK, now back to the street art...here are some of the new ones we encountered today. Enjoy!

Quick Pea Soup

2012-02-19T17:55:00.001Z

After our cold morning walk in the beautiful snow, all I wanted when I got home was a bowl of warming soup. Luckily, I had some vegetable stock waiting for me in the freezer and there's always frozen peas in the freezer for days when we run out of vegetables and for days like this. Impromptu soup making! It would have been great if I had some fresh mint on hand but i really didn't want to go out in the cold again to buy some since my toes and fingertips had already thawed out. :P

What I really love about soup recipes is that one can take a basic soup recipe and just improvise with whatever you have at home. All you basically need is a good stock, some vegetables and to make it more exciting, add some herbs or spices and you are good to go!

Ingredients (Serves 2)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
450g of frozen peas
1 stalk of spring onions, chopped
500ml of Vegetable Stock
Olive Oil
Pine nuts, Extra Virgin Olive Oil to garnish (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
1) Fully defrost the peas.The reason I do this is because I want to keep the cooking time of peas as short as possible to keep their bright green colour.
2) Heat up some olive oil in a heavy bottom pot. Add the onion and carrots. Cook over a gentle heat until the onions and carrots are soft (about 10 mins). Add the garlic and cook a further 2 mins.
3) Pour in the stock and bring to boil.
4) Add in the peas as well as the spring onions and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for a further 2 mins.
5) Use a hand blender or liquidiser, pulse until the soup is smooth. Season to taste.
6) Divide into bowls, garnish with pine nuts. Drizzle with extra virgin oil oil and serve with some good bread.

Winter Wonderland 2012

2012-02-06T22:31:00.001Z

"Hello!" says the horsie! "Welcome to my Winter Wonderland!"

Chokladbollar - No bake Swedish Chocolate balls

2012-02-02T22:07:00.006Z

Chokladbollar is a swedish delicacy, readily available in Sweden that's oh so easy to make at home. No baking is required so it's a great one to involve kids in.

I first found out about these chewy, coconutty treats when Sasa, author of Singlish Swenglish, brought some homemade ones over when she visited way back in 2007. It was love at first bite and so I asked for the recipe. Back then, I don't bake at all so I was pretty happy about the 'no bake' aspect of the recipe! haha

Since I'm kinda like a coffee addict, the addition of coffee suits me perfectly and tones down the sweetness of the chocolate balls. Feel free to replace coffee if you are not into coffee. Cooled down hot chocolate or even some liquor would work too.
This would be perfect for the upcoming Valentine's Day too!

Ingredients: (Makes around 24 balls)
100g butter, room temperature
60g soft brown sugar(use white castor sugar if you prefer it to be sweeter)
1/2 tbsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp cocoa powder
120g oats
3 tbsp strong, cold coffee
Desiccated coconut or Pearl Sugar or sprinkles or cocoa powder

Directions:
Mix sugar, cocoa powder, oats, vanilla sugar and coffee in a bowl.
Using your hands, work the soft butter into the bowl until it's all nicely mixed.
Using your hands, start rolling balls approximately the size of meat balls (2 cm across or if you get bored, use your imagination!!)

Roll the balls in desiccated coconut or pearl sugar or sprinkles or cocoa powder , put them on a plate and leave them to cool in the fridge for an hour or so.
Enjoy!

This post has been added to the #chocolatelove Blog Hop!!! Come join us by linking up any chocolate recipes from the month of Feb 2012.

Lake District - Derwentwater

2012-02-01T22:05:00.000Z

Time seem to just fly by and it's Feb already! Where did Jan go? It just turned much colder over here but I guess we are considered quite lucky as it's been a pretty mild winter until now. Though a little too cold for comfort, Feb means that it's almost the end of winter and Spring will be here soon!! What does one do when the the weather gets warmer and the days longer? Go on holidays!! Woohoo! It's time to start planning! I should really visit places I've yet to step foot in but there are some that I would really love to visit again. One of which is Derwentwater in the Lake District. Derwentwater is the name of the Lake that's easily accessible from the towns of Keswick and Borrowdale.

It's surrounded by fells (mountains) of various difficulty and it can get quite crowded with hikers during the high season. When we were there, we conquered Catbells (451 meters) and Walla Crag (378 meters). Catbells was a little more difficult as hands were needed to make the climb, however, the views from the top was well worth the effort! Simply breathtaking!
Isn't it worth another trip? ;)

Bak Kwa (Chinese Pork Jerky)

2012-01-24T22:44:00.003Z

One item that most people can't do without during Chinese New Year is the awesomely tasty Bak Kwa. Moist, marinated meat barbecued to perfection. There are many out there who wouldn't think twice about queueing 1 or 2 hours under the hot sun to get a box of these salty, sweet delights from some of famous brands around Singapore and Malaysia, even with the price hike during this festive period. I've found out that making it at home isn't as difficult as I thought it would be so when I came across it on Just as Delish, I decided to give it a go since I haven't gotten myself a box this Chinese New Year. It came out really well and my only complaint was that it wasn't sweet enough. However, this was totally my fault as I used brown sugar instead of caster sugar. Brown Sugar is not as sweet as castor so I should have increased the proportion. Lesson Learnt!!!

May the Year of the Dragon be a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Year for everyone!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

Ingredients (Adapted from Just as Delish and Singlish Swenglish)

1kg fatty(about 20) Meat Mince – either Chicken, Beef or Pork

120g Caster Sugar

2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder

3 tablespoon Fish Sauce

4 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce

3 tablespoon Honey

15ml Light Olive Oil

1/2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce

A few drops of Sesame Oil

Method

Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl or container. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 100°C. Place mince onto the tray then spread and press down to form a thin sheet over the surface of the tray to a thickness of about 3mm. You can either use wet fingers/spoon to manually press it or you could lay a sheet of plastic wrap over it and roll it thin with a rolling pin.
Place the trays in the oven for about 45 minutes with the door ajar or until the meat has dried out – the surface is dry to the touch, most of the liquid has evaporated and is holding together without breaking (It’s fine to be a little moist underneath the sheet). Do the same with the rest of the pork.
Cut the dried meat sheet into squares with a kitchen scissors.
Heat up your charcoal bbq, oven grill(Preheated to 230°C) or broiler and grill each square until darkened and caramelised. It’s totally alright to have the tiniest hint of charring but keep your eyes on them because they burn quickly and easily.
These Bak Kwa does not have preservatives, so it’s better to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge with sheets of greaseproof baking paper between each slice of Bak Kwa. When needed, reheat Bak Kwa in grill or microwave.
You can also store and freeze the bak kwa after you have dried it out in the oven. Once cooled, place sheets of greaseproof baking paper between each slice of pork. Wrap very well with plastic wrap and place in a container to freeze. When ready to use, defrost in refrigerator and grill as normal.

Chinese New Year Almond Cookies

2012-01-15T21:17:00.001Z

Chinese New Year is a time for reunion, celebrations and feasting!! I haven't spent Chinese New Year back home for such a long time. 5 years in fact so what's the best thing to do to make myself feel better?? Bake some CNY goodies!! Didn't have to do so last Chinese New Year as my then fiance's father blessed us with loads of goodies when he came over. No 'special' delivery this year so I'll just have to bake some! Home baked goodies will definitely be better than the expensive ones being sold in Chinatown. Agreed?

Almond cookies are one of the traditional cookies that's enjoyed during the festivities. It so happened that Su-Yin over at Bread et Butter posted up the recipe so i didn't have to look too far for a great recipe. The result of this easy recipe was a meltingly crumbly cookie with a pretty cracked appearance like what it should be. Simply lovely!

Adapted from Bread et Butter

Ingredients (Makes about 50)

2 cups ground almonds

2 cups plain flour

3/4 cup golden icing sugar

1 cup light olive oil

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Dry fry the ground almonds in a wide non-stick pan (over medium heat), until they start to become fragrant and lightly browned, taking care not to burn the almonds.

2. Heat the oven to 180 deg C.

3. Place the ground almonds, flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, and mix with a spatula until well combined.

4. In a food processor, pour in the dry mix and slowly trickle the oil while pulsing, until a cohesive dough is formed.

5. Form the dough into 2cm balls, and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press down lightly with a chopstick or straw to form the indentation you see in the cookie.

6. Glaze lightly with the beaten egg.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Citrus Bloghop: Lemon Lime Basil Cookies

2012-01-07T09:11:00.003Z

Jan is the month to show some #citruslove and this month I feel very privileged to be hosting this together with some amazing bloggers from all around the globe! I love citrus fruits as their tangy flavour somehow perks me up! There's this lemon and lime shower gel I use that does wonders to wake me up in the morning!

When I first heard that citrus was the theme of the month, I immediately thought of this recipe I came across on Chasing Delicious. Fresh flavours of lemon, lime and basil all in a chewy refreshing cookie ...this is one that I'll be making more often to remind me of summer in these cold winter months. It'll also probably work quite well if basil is replaced with Thyme? Since lemon and thyme are always a good combi?

Adapted from Chasing Delicious

Ingredients

110g light olive oil

85g granulated sugar

65g soft brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Zest from 1 lemon

Zest from 1 lime

2 tablespoons basil leaves, finely chopped

200g bread flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 190°C/375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Cream the sugar and olive oil together..

3. Add the egg, vanilla, zests and basil and mix in well.

4. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until combined and everything is evenly distributed.

5. Spoon the dough onto the lined baking sheets. This recipe will make 32 medium sized cookies.

6. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes; 8 minutes will yield a very soft doughy cookie whereas 12 minutes will yield a crispier cookie.

7. Let cool for a couple minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January is #citruslove month!

Please join in on the #citruslove fun by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #citruslove event! The twitter hashtag is #citruslove :).

This bloghop is co-host by

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl
Astig Vegan ~ Astig Vegan ~ @AstigVegan

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives ~ Lisa ~ @parsleynsage

Peaches and Donuts ~ Sylvia ~ @PeachesandDonut

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood
Teaspoon of Spice - Serena - @TspCurry

That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~ Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Apple Tarte Tatin (Caramelised upside down apple tart)

2011-12-28T20:00:00.005Z

What's not to like about an Apple Tarte Tatin? The richness of the butter, caramelised sugar, light and flaky puff pastry all comes together with some tart apples to make one smashing dessert!! This is one dessert where I won't replace butter with olive oil as it has to be rich and decadent so there's no way around that except to use butter. Of course for me, this is definitely one to enjoy only on special occasions.
Don't be intimidated by this dessert as it's pretty easy to recreate this french classic at home especially when store bought puff pastry is used. Try it out and I'm sure you'll agree with me. ;)

Note: Tarte Tatin has to be made with firm dessert apples as cooking apples will just become a puree during the cooking process.

Ingredients
Recipe from Gordon Ramsay 3 Star Chef

3 large crisp dessert apples (such as Pink Lady, Braeburn or Cox)
180g ready-made puff pastry
50g cold unsalted butter
50g caster sugar

Method
1) To prepare the apples, peel, core and quarter them, then lay out on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Leave to dry uncovered for 2-3 hours, or preferably chill overnight. Don't worry if they turn brown; they will be coated in caramel. ( I didn't leave them out to dry but it turned out fine too)
2) Have ready a 20cm shallow overproof pan. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out a 24cm round, using a similar sized plate as a guide. Lift onto a baking sheet and chill while you prepare the filling.
3) Cut the butter into thin slices and scatter over the bottom of a 20 cm ovenproof pan. Sprinkle over the sugar. Arrange the apple quarters, neatly around the pan with one in the middle. Place over a medium heat until the butter and sugar have melted and formed a light caramel. Carefully shake the pan from time to time to ensure that the apples are well coated with the caramel and are evenly browned. Leave to cool slightly.
4) When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200 deg celsius/ Gas 6. Drape the pastry over the apples and carefully tuck the edges down the sides of the pan. Place the pan in the hot oven and bake for 15 mins. Lower the oven setting to 180 deg celsius/ Gas 4 and bake for a further 15-20 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Leave to cool.
5) Turn the tarte tatin onto a serving plate and serve with ice cream.

Super easy coconut cookies

2011-12-24T11:02:00.003Z

I came home from work on Friday night and really really wanted to have some coconut cookies. I've made Coconut shortbread cookies before but this time i really wanted a cookie with lots more chewy coconut goodness in it and made without butter. I also want it to be super easy as I just had a long week at work so I went surfing for recipe and found one from Best recipes that I could easily adapt. So off i went doing my usual practise of replacing butter with olive oil and reducing the amount of sugar and yes it was another winner of a cookie!!! It turned out crisp on the outside and chewy in the centre! Spectacular cookie this is as I couldn't stop eating them!!

This is a also great recipe for Christmas baking as it's extremely quick and easy. Perfect for some last minute baking treats! Merry Blessed Christmas everyone!!!

Ingredients (makes around 30 cookies)
Adapted from Best Recipes
1 heaped cup self raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup light olive oil

Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined
- Place teaspoonfuls of cookie dough on a baking tray, spaced about 3 cm apart
- Bake for 12 - 14 mins depending on how crisp you like it.

Winter in Pamporovo, Bulgaria

2011-12-22T22:30:00.000Z

It's Winter Solstice today, the start of winter, the shortest day, the longest night so it would have been perfect if it snowed, even if it was just a little. It didn't snow and in fact it felt warmer than usual for this time of the year, 10 deg to be exact so there's no hope of having a white Christmas this year.

However, it sure brought back memories of the times when I was surrounded by snow, snow and more snow!! One of the best was when i went on a snowboarding trip with my friends a couple of years back. Yes, i fell countless times in my very poor attempt to snowboard and was one of my most tiring holiday ever but i thoroughly enjoyed myself, met some great people and of course took in the wonderful scenery that will forever be treasured.

Absolutely loved just sitting down in the snow, enjoying the beautiful feeling of being up in the mountains. The quietness, tranquillity and fresh air gave me a good opportunity to think and reflect. It's a great place to go to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. I would really love to make another trip to the mountains to enjoy it all once again maybe with a mug of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace?

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Squash Cupcakes!!

2011-12-18T18:00:00.000Z

Here's another recipe from one of my more well used cookbooks at the moment, Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache by Harry Eastwood. Having previously tried her Banana Courgette Bread and Aubergine Brownie which both turn out well, i was looking forward to try another one of her healthier but still tasty recipes! So i went 'a-flipping' and having just made some peanut butter cookies, the words peanut butter just popped out and of course since I'm not one who would pass up a chance to make something or rather anything with peanut butter this recipe became the chosen one! ;)

The cupcake wasn't light as a cupcake should be as it was rather like a brownie, chocolatey, dense and the squash did its part to keep the cupcake moist. Though not a typical cupcake, it still taste pretty good especially with that awesome peanut butter icing! I was a little naughty as i made a little more than the recipe called, fully intending to lick the bowl clean after I was done!!!! haha I think it'll be pretty good with a peanut butter icing filling too...peanut butter overdose?? I think not!!! ;) HO HO HO!!!

Adapted from Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

100g unsalted peanuts or ground almonds

3 medium free range eggs

200g brown sugar

200g peeled and finely grated butternut squash

100g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Icing:

60g smooth peanut butter

2 tbsp golden icing sugar, sifted

2 tbsp cocoa powder

pinch of salt

5 Tbsp boiling water

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases.

- If using peanuts, blitz them in a food processor until totally ground. Set aside.

- Whisk the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes, until pale coffee coloured and fluffy. Next, whisk in the grated squash followed by the flour,peanuts or almonds, baking powder, cocoa and salt, until everything is well combined.

- Spoon the batter into the paper cases and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool the muffin tin on a rack for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes and continuing to cool completely.

- To make the icing, put the peanut butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder together in a small bowl and mix with the back of a spoon to form a paste. Next, slow incorporate the boiling water with balloon whisk, one spoonful at a time until you get a smooth paste. Ice the cupcakes when completely cold.

Lentil and Chestnut Soup

2011-12-14T20:04:00.000Z

Am still in a soup frenzy after enjoying the delicious Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup and having seen this on the menu in St James Tavern recently(more on this in another post), I decided to cook it myself instead of ordering it as it can't be that difficult right? Well, I was partially right as I bought fresh chestnuts so peeling them were quite a chore! Other than that, this velvety and divine tasting soup was easy peasy and the husband loved it!! :)

Adapted from Nigella.com (serves 2-3)
Ingredients

125g red lentils
150g cooked chestnuts
800ml vegetable stock
1 carrot
1 small onion
half leek
2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh coriander, chopped
Single Cream to serve

Method
1.Finely chop the onion, leek and carrot.
2.Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped vegetables and let sweat and soften in the oil.
3.Add the lentils and stir, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until lentils are very soft (about 20 minutes).
4.Add the chestnuts and simmer for a further 15 minutes or so.
5.Liquidise until smooth adding as much water as you need.
6.Whenever you want to serve it reheat, and sprinkle each full bowl of soup with coriander and lace with cream.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-12-10T17:08:00.006Z

I absolutely love peanut butter!! Whether it's in a sandwich or ice cream or milkshake or cookie or even on it's own... I adore it!!!!!!! It's something about the sticky, salty, sweet combination that made me fall in love with it and have you seen the scene in Meet Joe Black where Brad Pitt ate some peanut butter off the spoon? How can anyone not want to try some after watching that? Peanut Butter can be so sexy! hahaha

Alright, enough of that and back to the recipe. :P I suddenly felt like having some peanut butter cookies and since I always have peanut butter at home, i went searching for recipes. One in particular caught my eye as it didn't contain flour at all. The main ingredients were just peanut butter, sugar and eggs. As always, interesting recipes like this don't fail to intrigue me and I just had to try it out, again with some scepticism.

These turn out crispy on the side, a little chewy in the centre and it was stuffed with the taste of peanut butter so yeah! it's a winner!!!!!!!!

Adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients (Makes around 20)
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
(Note: Using Soft Brown Sugar will make the cookie softer. Use White castor sugar if you like a crisper one)
1 egg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease cookie sheets.
- In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Beat in the egg then stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This post has been submitted to the #cookielove bloghop! If you like to join in the fun, just link up any cookie recipe from the month of Dec 2011 to show some #cookielove!

EQUIVALENTS AND CONVERSIONS

2011-12-08T22:31:00.001Z

While surfing around for recipes, I came across the following on Nigella's website. Thought that it'll be handy to have this guide so I'm sharing it here. :)

UK/US Equivalent guide

Double cream	Heavy cream
Single cream	Light cream
Cornflour	Corn starch
Shortcrust	Pie crust
Caster sugar	Superfine sugar
Icing sugar	Confectioners' sugar
Grill	Broil
Aubergine	Eggplant
Courgette	Zucchini
Mangetout	Snow peas
Coriander	Cilantro
Clingfilm	Saran wrap
Beef mince	Ground beef
Prawns	Shrimp
Digestive biscuits	Graham crackers (substitute)
Sultanas	Raisins
Trifle sponges	Ladyfingers
Spring onions	Scallions
Semi-skimmed milk	2% milk
Dark/plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)	Bittersweet chocolate
Milk/plain chocolate (less than 70% cocoa solids)	Semi-sweet chocolate
Bicarbonate of soda	Baking soda
Horlicks	UK brand of malted milk powder
Maltesers	UK brand of malted milk balls

TEMPERATURES

Gas Mark 1	140C	275F	Very cool
Gas Mark 2	150C	300F	Cool
Gas Mark 3	160C	325F	Warm
Gas Mark 4	180C	350F	Moderate
Gas Mark 5	190C	375F	Fairly Hot
Gas Mark 6	200C	400F	Fairly Hot
Gas Mark 7	210C	425F	Hot
Gas Mark 8	220C	450F	Very Hot
Gas Mark 9	240C	475F	Very Hot

VOLUME AND LIQUID MEASUREMENTS

5 ml	one-sixth fl oz	1 teaspoon
15ml	half fl oz	1 tablespoon (NOTE: Australian tablespoon = 20ml)
30ml	1 fl oz	2 tablespoons
45ml	1 and half fl oz	3 tablespoons
60ml	2 fl oz	quarter cup
75ml	2 and half fl oz	one-third cup
125ml	4 fl oz	half cup
150ml	5 fl oz	two-thirds cup
175ml	6 fl oz	three-quarters cup
250ml	8 fl oz	1 cup
600ml	1 pint	2 and half cups
900ml	1 and half pints	3 and three-quarter cups
1 litre	1 and three-quarter pints	4 cups

SOME USEFUL CUP CONVERSIONS

Please note that these are approximations

1 cup sugar	200g
1 cup icing sugar	125g
1 cup flour	140g
1 cup rice	200g
1 cup frozen peas	125g
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs	70g
1 cup grated cheese	100g
1 cup chocolate chips	175g
1 cup sultanas	150g
1 cup honey/syrup	300g
1 stick of butter	110g 4oz

WEIGHT CONVERSIONS

15g	half oz
30g	1 oz
45g	1 and half oz
60g	2 oz
75g	2 and half oz
90g	3 oz
100g	3 and half oz
125g	4 oz
150g	5 oz
175g	6 oz
200g	7 oz
250g	8 oz
275g	9 oz
300g	10 oz
325g	11 oz
350g	12 oz
375g	13 oz
400g	14 oz
450g	15 oz
500g	1 lb

CAKE TINS SIZES

20cm	8 inch
23cm	9 inch
25cm	10 inch

LOAF TIN SIZES

450g	1lb
900g	2lb

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup

2011-12-04T21:43:00.001Z

When it's cold outside, one of the best thing to enjoy inside is a bowl of piping hot soup in front the fireplace. A fireplace I don't have but a bowl of soup can be easily whipped up in no time at all. This one combines the sweetness of the sweet potatoes with the spiciness of the other ingredients to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside which in my opinion is a very nice feeling to have in winter. And of course,anything with chorizo is always delicious!!! ;)

Adapted from Jamie Oliver Food Revolution
Serves 3-4
Ingredients

2 carrots
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
450g sweet potatoes
100g chorizo sausage
1.5 heaped teaspoon curry powder
1 vege stock cube or 1 vege knorr stock pot
900ml of water
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

Method
Peel and roughly slice the carrots and onions.
Peel and slice the garlic.
Peel and chop the potatoes.
Slice the chorizo.

Put a large heavy based pot on medium heat and lightly fry the chorizo without any oil. Once the oil oozes out of the chorizo, remove the chorizo and set aside.
In the same pot, add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent.
Add carrots, sweet potato and curry powder and mix together
Cook for around 10 mins with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape.
Put the stock cubes/stock pot into a jug and pour in 900ml of boiling water
Stir until dissolved then add to the vegetables
Add back the chorizo into the pot, give the soup a good stir and bring to the boil
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins until potato is softened

Season with salt and pepper
Using a hand blender or liquidiser, pulse the soup until smooth and scatter over a little finely chopped chilli
Divide between bowls and serve with bread!!

Cinnamon Banana Courgette Bread

2011-11-30T22:19:00.001Z

It's been a long time since I've picked up Harry Eastwood's red velvet chocolate heartache. The last time was when i baked the aubergine brownie, an odd ingredient one might think but believe me it's actually really good! :)

So when it was time to show some #squashlove, that first place i turned to was of course this book! I was intending to post this recipe at the beginning of this month but as i made an impromptu trip home, i had to put it on hold for a bit. So here it is, on the last day in nov... a banana bread that's also filled with the goodness of courgettes or zucchini and nuts! The texture is a wee bit spongy but it tasted much better than when first made a banana courgette bread using another recipe.

Adapted from Harry Eastwood Red Velvet Chocolate Heatache
Ingredients

140g banana (peeled weight)
2 medium free-range eggs
100g golden caster sugar
150g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgettes/zucchinis
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
25g finely chopped brazil nuts
25g finely chopped pecans

Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Brush the inside of a loaf tin with a little vegetable oil
2) Mash the banana thoroughly with a fork
3) Whisk the eggs and sugar for a full 3 mins until pale and light. Whisk in the mashed-up banana until completely incorporated. Add the courgette and beat again.
4) Add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon and mixed spice, and whisk again until completely blended.
5) Mix in most of the brazil nuts and pecans and pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 mins.
6) Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

Home

2011-11-23T23:07:00.000Z

Hi Everyone! I'm back and thanks for all your concern when I last posted. :) Usually, I'm always happy and looking forward to going home however, this time it was with mixed feelings as I had to make an impromptu trip back to Singapore as my dear Grandma passed away. The last time I saw her was in April and she looked fine so I really didn't expect this to happen so soon, but that's just part and parcel of life isn't it? I also had the chance to spend some time with family and friends which is always nice. :) A trip home is always never long enough so all I can do is to look forward to the next one.......

I didn't take any photos during the trip but here are some I took previously. So here they are of.....Singapore, my home. :)

Marina Bay Sands

Singapore Flyer

View of the Central Business District

Helix Bridge

Orchard Road (Shopping District)

CHIJMES (Dining Venue that used to be my old school)

Pan Pacific Hotel

Taking a break

2011-11-02T20:00:00.000Z

Hey Lovely Readers!

I'll be taking a break from posting for about 3 weeks to attend to some family matters but in the meantime, I'll still be visiting your blogs. :)

Have an awesome Nov! Christmas is almost here! :)

Hola! Paella with Chicken and Chorizo!!

2011-10-30T21:24:00.001Z

One of my absolutely fave place in London is Borough Market, where one can find loads of fresh , wonderful and sometimes unusual produce! I made a trip there recently and look at what I found....aren't they pretty? I also bought big bowl of the sweetest plum tomatoes I ever tasted for only £1!

Pattypan and Carnival Squash

Brindisa, a Spanish food store in Borough Market is the place to go when you want to find any food related spanish stuff!! Jamon, chorizo, paprika, saffron, paella pan...you name it and they will have it! Stocked up on some chorizo, calasparra rice, paprika so of course i had to cook us some Paella when we got home! I still don't own a paella pan so I just used one of my heavy bottom cast iron pan which worked well too.

Adapted from Gordon Ramsay World Kitchen. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

400g Bomba or Calasparra rice

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 600g

sea salt and black pepper

200g chorizo sausage

3 tbsp olive oil

1 red pepper, cored deseeded and chopped

1 orange pepper, cored deseeded and chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 litre vegetable stock

pinch of saffron threads

3/4 tsp smoked paprika

100g peas, thawed if frozen

6 large tomatoes, skinned deseeded and chopped

handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1) Rinse the rice well, drain and set aside. Cut the chicken in to bitesize pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cut the chorizo sausage into thick slices.
2) Heat olive oil in a large pan and brown the chicken pieces all over. Remove to a plate and set aside.Add the chorizo slices to the pan and saute for 2 mins, then add the chopped peppers and garlic. Cook for 3-4 mins, stirring frequently until peppers start to soften.
3) Stir in the rice and cook, stirring, for a few mins to taste the grains. Add stock, saffron and paprika. Bring it to a boil, add chicken pieces and lower the heat. Simmer for 15 mins, untouched. What we want is for a crust to form at the bottom so we should minimise any stirring.
4) Add the peas and chopped tomatoes, giving it a gentle stir and continue cooking for a further 10-15 mins, untouched. When rice is cooked and retains a slight bite, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for a few mins.
5) Scatter chopped parsley over the paella then serve with lemon wedges.

Panko crusted eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce

2011-10-28T21:00:00.000+01:00

In addition to the Negi Miso Chicken I mentioned in my last post, i also made some Panko crusted aubergine/eggplant with Sesame Ponzu sauce to go with it. I actually combined 2 recipes(Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce and the Eggplant Parmesan with Meat Sauce) I came across on Nami's Just One Cookbook Blog for this dish so I think I may have bastardise her recipes. Hope you don't mind, Nami!

I just made a trip to the Japan centre supermarket in London(it's not often that I shop there) and bought myself a pack of Panko breadcrumbs as well as a bottle of Ponzu. As always, I was excited to use these new ingredients so I thought why not combine both to create a somewhat new dish. It actually worked quite well as the eggplants were a little oily from being deep fried so it was balanced off by the sourness of the Ponzu sauce which cuts through the oil nicely.

Adapted from Just One Cookbook
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant/aubergine
1 spring onion, chopped
Flour
2 eggs,beaten
Panko
Oil for frying

Dressing
2 tbsp Ponzu
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 pinch of salt

Method
1) In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the dressing and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
2) Cut the eggplant into 1/3 inch thick rounds and soak in water for 10 mins. According to Nami, this will get rid of the tart taste and prevent the eggplant from changing colour.
3) Dry the eggplants with paper towels.
4) Dip eggplant in flour, shake off the excess, then dip it in egg, again, shaking off the excess. Finally dredge it in panko until evenly coated. Side this aside and continue with the rest of the slices.
5) In a large non stick frying pan, heat 1/4 inch of oil on high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, deep fry the eggplants until golden brown. When it's done, transfer them onto a plate with paper towels so that the excess oil can be soaked up.
6) Placed eggplants on the serving plate, sprinkle spring onions over it and either dip the eggplant into the sauce to eat or pour the dressing over the eggplants to serve.

Negi Miso Chicken

2011-10-26T22:38:00.003+01:00

I absolutely love learning about new cooking techniques, new ingredients as well as the new method of cooking common ingredients. One of my favourite places to pick all of the above up is on the lovely Nami's Just One Cookbook Blog. I've learnt quite a bit about easy Japanese cooking from her and am looking forward to more interesting recipes.

One of the first recipe I've tried from her massive collection of recipes is the Negi Miso Chicken and yes it's simply delish! It's versatile too as according to Nami, it can be used as a dip, a marinade for fish or meat and to make yaki onigiri(grilled rice balls) too. I used leeks in place of the Tokyo Negi and I found this recipe really interesting as I won't usually think of using a vegetable to marinade chicken!

Adapted from Just One Cookbook.

Ingredients for Negi Miso
1 cup (packed) Leeks (1 green top part)
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
<Seasonings>
2 ½ Tbsp. miso
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. mirin
1/2 tsp. soy sauce

Ingredients for Negi Miso Chicken

Negi Miso

5 Chicken thighs/breasts

Oil

METHOD:

Method for Negi Miso:

Chop green part of the leeks into fine rounds.

In a large frying pan, heat sesame oil on high heat and stir fry leeks until wilted.

Add seasoning and keep stirring. Miso burns easily so keep stirring while you cook. Once dehydrated, turn off the heat and set aside to cool down.

Method for Negi Miso Chicken:

Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel. In a bowl or Ziploc bag, combine the chicken with Negi Miso and marinate for at least 3 hours.

Instead of pan frying the chicken, i roasted the chicken at 200 deg C for 30 mins and it was delicious too!!

Apple Blog Hop: Apple and Gingerbread Pecan loaf cake

2011-10-23T16:29:00.000+01:00

October is the month to show some #applelove, a month when bloggers from all around the world gather to share all our yummy apple recipes so here's mine!

It comes a little late in the month but I haven't been able to find a nice apple recipe until now and guess where i saw this recipe??! In the delicious magazine I read when I was getting a haircut, of all places!! haha I reduced the amount of sugar and golden syrup, used olive oil instead of butter but it still came out really moist so I'm pretty happy about it.

Here's the original recipe taken from delicious magazine.
Ingredients
150g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
150g soft dark brown sugar
150g golden syrup
200ml milk
250g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tsp baking powder
2 large free rage eggs, beaten
75g pecans, roughly chopped
3 pieces stem ginger, chopped
2 crisp eating apples, such as braeburn, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks (245g peeled and cored)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 2 litre loaf tin. Melt butter, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir through the milk and set aside to cool.
2. Sift the flour with the dry spices and baking powder into the bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cool syrup mixture. With a wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the flour mixture using a circular motion. Fold through the beaten eggs, pecans, stem ginger and apples.
3. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes away clean. Cool for 5 mins in the tin, then remove to a wire rack.

Bincho Yakitori, London

2011-10-20T21:24:00.002+01:00

Where the magic happens!

Bincho Yakitori is a gem of a place right smacked into middle of Soho, London. Casual japanese dining at its finest, it's the perfect place to go for a supper after catching a performance in the West End or any other time when you feel like having well cooked charcoal grilled yakitori (japanese skewers). Every dish we had were fresh, tasty, juicy and succulent. Service was quick and friendly so we'll definitely be back soon!

Minced Chicken Balls and Duck breast

Beef Ribs and Unagi (Eel)

Chicken Oysters

King Oyster Mushrooms

Chicken and Mushroom Fried Rice

Japanese Aubergine with Sweet Miso

Soymilk Donuts - Quite a dense one

Bincho Yakitori
16 Old Compton Street
London
W1D 4TL

Ayam Pongteh (Nyonya Chicken Stew)

2011-10-18T09:44:00.001+01:00

Peranakan or Nyonya cooking is a marriage of Chinese and Malay ingredients as well as techniques. So who are the Peranakans? Well, they are descendants of Chinese Migrants who inter-married with local Malays in mainly Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore. Malacca is a haven for Nyonya cooking so be sure pay this town a visit when you are in Malaysia!

Ayam(Chicken) Pongteh or Babi(Pork) Pongteh is a famous Nyoyna dish, one that's always cooked during festive occasions such as Chinese New Year, Birthdays etc. It's always a good idea to cook a big batch of this as the flavours developed even more after being kept overnight.

Recipe taken from Secrets of Nyonya Cooking by Florence Tan but I made a few changes such using a food processor to chop up the shallots and garlic as I was lazy. I would have probably taken a while day if i tried pounding them! I also drastically reduced the amount of oil required as 180ml just sounds very scary! haha The amount of light soy sauce was halved too. The following recipe is the exact one found in the cookbook, for those who are daring enough to use that much oil. :)

Ingredients
180ml cooking oil
30 Shallots, peeled and finely pounded
15 cloves garlic,peeled and finely pounded
150grams soy bean paste (tau cheong)
1kg chicken,cut into bite-size pieces
10 dried chinese mushrooms, soaked in water and stemmed
1litre water
3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons thick soy sauce
50g sugar
1 sprig coriander leaves

Method
1) Heat cooking oil and fry pounded shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add preserved soy bean paste and saute until oil surfaces.
2) Add the chicken and mushrooms. Stir-fry until well mixed. Add water.
3) Bring to a boil and add potatoes. Season with the 2 soy sauces and sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for 25 mins until potatoes and chicken are cooked.
4) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

A Foggy Morning

2011-10-16T22:39:00.001+01:00

The fog may cause loads of problems but it can also be a pretty sight sometimes when we are in the right place at the right time. Went out for an early morning walk today and this was what greeted us. :) It was a good walk but it gave me very frozen toes so I was very glad to get back home to enjoy a hot mug of tea!

Elliot's Cafe & St James's Park

2011-10-13T21:59:00.002+01:00

It's not often that we go out for breakfast. Firstly, there are no nice cafes around where we live and by the time we get to London, I'm starved! haha It so happened that we woke up quite early on Sat so we thought why not, let's check out this newish cafe near Borough Market, one that I've been reading about recently.

We got there at around 9.45am and it was pretty crowded. A good sign, in my opinion and as luck may have it, there were 2 tables still available so yes! we didn't have to wait for a table!! Woohoo!! The menu consists of some standard breakfast items and we decided on the Eggs Benedict, a chocolate bun and of course the all important coffee boost we need in the morning!!

The coffee from Square Mile was a bit too sharp for my taste as I still prefer a more rounded flavour but having said that, i had an americano so I believe it would have taste much better in a flat white.

The chocolate bun was good. However, the star of the show was the Eggs Benedict! Just look at that egg yolk!! Perfection I say!!! Every ingredient brought together by the creamy and tangy hollandaise sauce, tasted absolutely wonderful!

After breakfast, we had a quick walk through Borough Market before heading to St James's Park for a nice post breakfast walk. :) What a nice way to spend the morning!

Lamb Keema (Lamb Mince Curry)

2011-10-11T20:54:00.000+01:00

This recipe taken from The New Malaysian Cookbook, borrowed from my friend recently, was originally called Kambing Keema(goat keema). Keema means minced and since I decided to use lamb, it would be more appropriate to call it a Lamb Keema. :)
Keema is a traditional Indian meat curry dish that usually consists of minced meat, peas and potatoes. A mild curry with not much heat and the whole curry is well rounded off with the addition of coconut milk.
It's my first time cooking from this cookbook and we loved it!! I can see myself cooking a lot more from here...until I have to return it, that is...... :P

Ingredients

225g minced lamb

3 tablespoons curry powder

salt to taste

5 tablespoons oil

2 large onions(diced small)

4 cardamoms (bruised)

5 cloved

1 star anise

2cm cinnamon stick

1cm ginger (pounded)

2 cloved garlic (pounded)

500ml thin coconut milk

2 potatoes (diced 2cm)

2 tomatoes (diced 2cm)

60g green peas
10 curry leaves

2 sprigs coriander leaves (chopped)

sugar to taste

Method

1) Combine minced mutton, curry powder and salt. Set aside for 10 mins.

2) Heat oil. Saute diced onions until fragrant.

3) Add cardamoms, cloved, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and lamb. Stir till mixture is dry.

4) Gradually pour in 125 ml coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 mins.

5) Put in diced potatoes and the remaining coconut milk. Continue stirring till the potatoes are soft. Put in diced tomatoes and peas.

6) Adjust seasoning to taste.

7) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Mango and Banana Yogurt Gelato and an award

2011-10-09T20:00:00.005+01:00

You must be thinking that I'm must be little mad to post up a Gelato recipe when just a few posts ago, I mentioned that autumn was officially here and it was getting chilly. Well, the crazy weather in the UK decided that it wanted to feel like summer for just a few more days so we had lovely sunshine last weekend and it was hot! high of 27 deg hot! Hence I took the opportunity to quickly make a 3 ingredient gelato I saw in one of Donny Hay's cooking show. Didn't really believe that it was possible but it was! Healthy, light and refreshing, perfect for summer!

However, before I move on to the recipe, i would like extend my heartfelt thanks to MJ of MJ's kitchen and Shannon of Just as delish for passing on to me the Versatile Blogger award! My very first award!!! As I'm still quite new to the world of blogging, I'm happy to know that there are others out there who enjoy my blog so thank you very much for thinking of me! :)
Be sure to pay these lovely ladies a visit on their blog for loads of very interesting recipes!

To receive this award, I'm to share 7 things about myself and to pass on this award to 15 other new bloggers. So here I go!
1) I'm a software engineer by profession. Not the most exciting of jobs but not only has it allowed me to work in Singapore, I've also had the chance to work in Shanghai, Beijing and now UK so for that I'm thankful.
2) I've always loved watching cooking shows since I was quite young but it's only since I moved to the UK that I've started to enjoy cooking/baking.
3) I think that i'm quite adventurous when it comes to food and even when someone tells me that something tastes bad, I'll still have to try it and decide for myself whether I like it or not. Of course, I draw a line for certain stuff like eating dogs etc. That's a big no no!!!
4) I'm always try to look out for a funny side to things especially when I'm in a 'not so nice' kinda situation. Good to make the most of a situation isn't it?
5) My motto is 'Don't worry, be happy!!' :)
6) I use to drink up to 4 cups of coffee a day but now, I'm done to 1 or 2 cups a week! so for those who are trying to cut down..... believe me It can be done!
7) Once we've decided on a holiday destination, the very 1st thing I'll do is to do research on restaurants to visit before moving on to the attractions of the place. :P

I haven't yet found 15 new bloggers to pass the award to but the following are pretty new I hope and are some of the blogs I love visiting. Please pay them a visit too!
1) Jenelle of One Apron
2) Chandler of Sweet Cupcaker
3) Shannon of Just as delish (Shannon was already on my list before I received the award from her so I shall still include her)
4) Ha Nguyen of No Butter
5) Kelly of Inspired Edibles
6) Lavieenfribourg
7) Amanda of Scattered Cook
8) Suzi of Cooking's good
9) Ruth of Bread and Milk and Blackberries

So without further ado, here's the recipe. :)

Taken from Donna Hay: Fast, fresh and simple
Ingredients
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
3 mangos, peeled and chopped
280g thick natural or vanilla yogurt

Method
1) Place banana and mango in a sealed container. Freeze for 4-5 hours or until frozen.
2) Place frozen fruit and yogurt in a blender or fruit processor and blend until smooth.
3) Serve immediately or place in a sealed container and freeze. After freezing, allow to soften for 5 mins before serving.

Quinoa Stir-fry with kale, chilli and nuts

2011-10-06T20:57:00.000+01:00

Here's me on my quinoa kick again! :) Absolutely love it after cooking it for the 1st time so I was on a lookout for more delicious combination of ingredients. This time, it's one that's quite like a Chinese Fried Rice. I may just replace the rice aspect of a fried rice with quinoa from now on. ;)

Oh yes! I just found quinoa flour in one of my local shops so I hope to do some baking with quinoa soon!!

Adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe
Ingredients (Serves 3)
100g flaked almonds
200g quinoa
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeds and membrane removed, finely sliced
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
140g kale, stems removed and shredded
150ml vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soy sauce, optional

Method
Heat the oven to 180C. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until slightly golden and fragrant, stirring once, about six to eight minutes. Leave to cool.

Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packet. While it's cooking, warm olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onions and fry until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Throw in the kale and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the kale is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the quinoa, stir to combine. Finally add the nuts, season to taste and serve hot or cold, with a splash of soy sauce, if you like.

Day out at Kew Gardens

2011-10-05T21:25:00.001+01:00

Temperate House

Kew Gardens, located in 10 miles from Central London, makes for a great day out when the sun is shining and the clouds are floating.

Visit a rainforest in the Palm house or visit the Temperate house, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world. There's also the Princess of Wales Conservatory where 10 climatic zones are recreated. Wanna have a bird's eye view of the gardens? Climb up the Treetop walkway. In addition to these, there are also many other themed gardens and features dotted around Kew so you'll definitely won't get bored.

In all of these attractions, one can find lots of unique, beautiful, interesting and some unusual flora and fauna.

Love in the Mist

Kew gardens spreads across a massive 300 acres of land so be sure to bring along your walking shoes when visiting and here are some pics I took when I last visited! :)

Princess of Wales Conservatory

Coconut Shortbread cookies

2011-10-02T22:17:00.004+01:00

I've had this recipe for quite a while as it's one that works all the time as the shortbread comes out short/crumbly and addictive every time! I've always used the recipe (though I've forgotten where I first got it from) as it is but this time round I thought that I'll just play around with it a little since I still had some desiccated coconut from when I made the delicious ANZAC cookies. I replaced some of the flour with the coconut and what do you know!??! It's works!! Coconut added another layer of texture which I really enjoyed! Definitely one for coconut lovers!!

Ingredients (make around 24 2.5cm cookies)
125g butter
55g caster sugar
120g plain flour
60g Desiccated Coconut

Method
1. Beat the butter and the sugar together until pale.
2. Stir in the flour and coconut to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm thick.
3. Cut into rounds or fingers and sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar. Put on a baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes.
4. Heat then oven to 190C
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Butternut squash chilli with quinoa

2011-09-28T21:54:00.002+01:00

Ever since I started blogging, I've come across countless quinoa recipes. I've only ever had quinoa in a store bought salad so I was pretty surprised to learn that it could also be used to make cakes and cookies.

Quinoa is a recently newly discovered low fat grain that's high in protein and a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron copper and phosphorus. It's definitely a good addition to one's diet!

So to start off my quinoa cooking journey, I decided on a warm Butternut squash chilli with quinoa. A recipe I adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Chilli con Carne and Olive's magazine Butternut squash chilli with quinoa recipe.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp ground cumin
1 - 2 tsp chilli powder(depending on taste. Feel free to omit this.)
1 butternut squash, about 1kg, peeled and cubed#
100g quinoa, soaked in water for 30 mins
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of red kidney beans
olive oil
Salt and Pepper
a bunch of coriander, chopped

Method
Roast butternut squash for 10 mins and boil quinoa for 10 mins.
Sweat onions and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add oregano, cumin, chilli powder and cook till they release their aroma.
Add partially cooked quinoa, butternut squash, chopped tomatoes, cinnamon and bay leaf,.
Simmer for about 10 mins and add red kidney beans.
Simmer for another 5 mins.
Stir in coriander, check for seasoning and serve.

Bluebells in an enchanted forest...

2011-09-27T20:13:00.000+01:00

It's officially Fall in the UK, the air is crisp and cool, the days seem to get shorter really quickly and all I can think of is spring as I'm sure looking forward to see flowers blooming once again!

One of my favourite sights are the fields of bluebells that appear around April and May.

I feel as though I'm walking through an enchanted forest, waiting for my Prince Charming to ride by on his white horse and whisk me off into the sunset but no, the hubby was also busy taking photos so that didn't happen. :P However, it's nice to just dream about it right?

When walking through fields of bluebells, be sure to keep a lookout(or keep your noses wide open) for wild garlic as they are known to grow nearby. I haven't yet encountered any but i look forward to do so next year!

Wholemeal blueberry & banana muffins

2011-09-25T20:00:00.004+01:00

Cupcakes...Muffins.....what's the difference? I've asked this question and some say that they are the same, same say they are not. So who's correct?

Are cupcakes usually lighter in texture, topped with frostings, look very pretty and tastes so good??

Are muffins usually heavier in texture, looks rustic, is more of a breakfast food and also tastes good?

What do you think??

This is my first time making muffins with wholemeal flour and was very pleased with the texture as it's very moist so this is definitely a healthy, yummy muffin that's filled with goodness!!

Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite

Ingredients (Makes 12)

2 very ripe bananas

300g wholemeal flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of fine sea salt

100g light brown sugar

284 carton of buttermilk

(I used soy milk and lemon juice to replace this. Mix 1 cup(250ml) of soy milk with 1 tbsp of while vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 10 mins. This method can be used with cow's milk too if you can't find buttermilk)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

75g light olive oil

200g blueberries

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 180 deg C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.

Peel the bananas and mash in a bowl.

Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the centre and add the soy milk. egg, olive oil and bananas.

Quickly fold the ingredients together until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix.

Tip in the blueberries and give the batter one or two stirs.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle with demerara sugar. The cases will be quite full.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 mins until well risen and golden brown on top. A skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin emerges clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Paprika Spiced Kale Chips

2011-09-24T21:17:00.001+01:00

What should I do when I suddenly crave for something crispy, have run out of potato crisps or tapioca chips at home, am lazy to go out to get some and have a bag of kale in the fridge?? Well, it's Kale chips to the rescue!!! I first came across this when Jenelle of One Apron mentioned that kale chips makes for a quick and easy side dish. That caught my attention as I'm always on the lookout for something healthier to snack on and having tried this, it'll be something that I'll be snacking on from now on. :) 2 thumbs up!!

Ingredients
1 bunch Kale, stems removed and cut to bite sized pieces
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Spicy Smoked paprika

Method
Preheat Oven to 200 deg C.
Toss kale with olive oil and paprika.
Place kale in the baking tray in 1 layer.
Bake for 10 -15 mins until crisp.

All about London!

2011-09-20T18:08:00.000+01:00

I've been in the UK for almost 5 years and live only a half hour away from London but I've come to realise that I haven't taken many photos of the city of London. I will have do some catchup but in the meantime, here are some that I've taken so far. Enjoy!

London Eye

Tower Bridge

Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral

St Gabriel's Wharf

Camden

Covent Gardens

Stir-fried Ginger Pork

2011-09-18T22:02:00.003+01:00

Ginger is a flavourful spice that's useful not only in cooking/baking. It's also has many health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, prevents the formation of blood clots, calm an upset stomach, relieves nausea, has anti viral and anti inflammatory properties etc. It's definitely one spice that we always have at home even if we don't plan to cook with it as it comes in real handy when we want to brew some Chai!

Stir-fried Ginger Pork is also one dish that we cook quite often as it a very fragrant and appetising dish. It's especially good if the ginger used is young and spicy! Chicken can also be used if preferred.

Ingredients (Serve 2)
250g of Pork fillet or shoulder (sliced)
2 big thumbs of ginger (julienned)
2 tbsp of oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster flavoured sauce)
1 tbsp of corn flour
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tbsp of sunflower oil

Method
Marinate pork slices in oyster sauce and cornflour for at least 30 mins.
Stir in sesame oil once you are ready to start cooking. If sesame oil is used earlier, it'll coat the pork and prevents the marination from working it's magic.
Heat sunflower oil in a wok.
Add in ginger and stir fry over a medium heat until the ginger is pretty dry (about 10 mins)
Add in pork and stir fry over a high heat until cooked. (about 3-4 mins)
Serve immediately with rice. Some blanched tenderstem broccoli goes well with the dish too!
Enjoy!!

Peach and Tomato Pasta

2011-09-14T17:50:00.000+01:00

I got to admit that I haven't been too adventurous with cooking savoury dishes with fruit of any kind. However, recently I came across a Peach and tomato pasta sauce recipe at Eat well with Others and decided that this 'not cooking with fruits' business has got to change!

And boy was I glad that I tried this out as it was delicious! The sweetness of the peaches cuts the acidity of the tomatoes making it a very well balanced dish and the use of cinnamon adds a bit of warmth.

Adapted from Eat well with others.
Serves 3

Ingredients
5 medium sized tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 large peaches, chopped
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 can chickpeas
A bunch of basil, leaves plucked and stalks chopped
250g penne pasta

Method
Heat oven to 200 deg C.
In a lightly oiled baking dish, stir together tomatoes, peaches, onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Roast uncovered for 40 mins, stirring at least twice during cooking, until ingredients have softened and thickened.
Stir in chickpeas, balsamic vinegar and basil stalks after 30 mins.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Mix pasta with sauce and basil leaves.
Serve.

Ali Baba Egyptian Restaurant

2011-09-13T13:23:00.000+01:00

There are a few things that gives us a clue as to whether an Egyptian restaurant serves authentic food. One, are the serving staff local Egyptian? Two, are the diners Egyptians? Three, is the television turned on really loudly? (I've read about this and the husband who's been to Cairo confirmed that this is true)

On this occasion, it was a yes to point one and three but as it was Ramadan when we had lunch, it was very quiet. However, the husband had dinner here some time ago and he says that there were a lot of Egyptian businessmen dining here so it's a yes to point two as well!!
As I haven't yet visited Egypt yet and have no knowledge of what Egyptian food is all about, I let the husband take the reins in ordering.

We started off with Stuffed vine leaves. This was stuffed with rice, pine nuts, raisins with a splash of lemon juice and it was served warm which i was pretty surprised about as the last time I had Stuffed vine leaves in a Greek restaurant, it was served at room temperature. I actually preferred it warm as it somehow brings out the various flavours in the rice.

Another appetiser we had was the spinach falafel. I have always loved a good falafel and this was definitely one of those times. Nicely spiced, chickpeas had the right texture and including some spinach in it makes for an even healthier dish. The falafel had this fragrance about it and i think rosewater was added to it. What an interesting addition!

Ali Baba Special

For mains, we had the Ali baba Special (Roast lamb with minced meat rice). The star of the show was definitely the lamb as it was so tender and succulent. Don't you agree?

Molokheya Soup

We also had Molokheya Lamb Soup but this needed some getting used to as it's really starchy. Molokheya, a kind of green spinach like leaf found in the Middle East, acts as a thickening agent when added to soups. Again the lamb that came with it was ultra tender. They sure know how to cook their meats!

Om Ali

Even though we were really stuffed by now, we still had to order the Om Ali(as the husband was raving about it), a dessert flavoured with nuts, milk, rosewater and coconut, that's somewhat like a rice pudding but puff pastry is used instead of rice. Definitely a great warming winter dessert!!

So if you want an authentic Egyptian restaurant experience, give Ali Baba a go!

Ali Baba

32 Ivor Place,London

NW1 6DA

Chai Spiced Banana Oat Muffin

2011-09-11T19:49:00.000+01:00

We've been having proper Chai every weekend when we are home and by proper, I mean making it using Chai spices rather than using a Chai teabag. Here's my Chai Recipe if you are interested. Since we don't have the luxury of having a stove at work, making chai using a teabag would suffice during the week.

This weekend, we made it again but I also felt like having some banana oat muffins so I thought why not combine the flavours of chai into the muffin and the outcome was just splendid! The Chai spiced muffin went well with a cup of freshly brewed chai and we loved it! However, I'm not too sure if it's to everyone's liking as it might just cause a chai overdose of sorts!

I adapted this recipe from Gordon Ramsay Healthy Appetite, one that I use all the time as it always results in moist muffins.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients
100g Oats
200g plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
100g light brown sugar
4 large ripe bananas
1 large egg
60g light olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp ground ginger

Method
Heat oven to 180 deg C/Gas4.
Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, sugar and spices.
Mix well and make a well in the centre.
Mash bananas in another bowl.
Stir in beaten egg and light olive oil.
Add to dry mixture and fold through until combined. Don't overmix.
Spoon into paper cases and bake for 20-25 mins until brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Porcini Mushrooms Risotto

2011-09-06T23:07:00.009+01:00

Creamy, oozy and tasty, it's another one of those dishes that feels like a hug in a bowl/plate. This has got to be my favourite kind of risotto as the flavour of dried porcini is really intense without having to add cheese to it. It's not that I don't like cheese but I'm suppose to be cutting down on it so this risotto is right up my alley. ;)

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Risotto
25g dried porcini mushrooms
200g Arborio rice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 glass white wine
1 pint(470ml) chicken or vegetable stock
Olive Oil
salt and black pepper

Mushrooms topping

10 chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
salt
chopped chives

Directions:
Risotto
1.Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and squeeze out any excess water. Chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces. Strain and reserve the drained water.
2.Heat the stock and drained mushroom water in a pan to a very gentle simmer.
3.Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the garlic and shallot over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the shallot's translucent. Do not let it brown.
4.Add the rice and coat with the olive oil, garlic and shallot mix. Cook for 2 minutes.
5.Add the white wine and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add a ladle of the simmering stock together with the chopped mushrooms and stir until it's all absorbed.
6. Continue adding the stock in this way, a ladleful at a time, until the rice is creamy with a slight bite (you may not need all the stock). This will take about 20 mins.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Take the pan off the heat and leave to stand for a few mins.

Mushrooms Topping
1. Place a heavy bottom pan on a medium heat.
Note: No oil is needed. Cooking chestnut mushrooms on a dry heat will further enhance the nuttiness of of the mushrooms making it all the more appetizing.
2. Add the mushroom and just let it sit there for about 10 - 15 mins to allow the moisture to evaporate and shrink. However, keep an eye on it to make sure that they don't burn.
3. Once they are done, season with salt, spoon them over the risotto and sprinkle some chives over the whole dish.

Enjoy!!

This recipe has been submitted to the #ricelove bloghop event.