Finger Lickin' Good Tacos.

For some reason or another, i felt like having something different over the weekend and somehow tacos came to mind. I've only ever had it once at a mexican restaurant in Melbourne. Suddenly i couldn't wait for Saturday to arrive, i sourced out taco shells in the supermarket, made my own guacamole and salsa the night before. I tend to think that tacos are to Mexicans what popiah [huge fresh spring rolls] are to Singaporeans or Malaysians. Must be the variety of fillings and the idea of assembling them into individual portions.

I'm so amused by these 'Stand n Stuff' taco shells. What an ingenious idea, makes it so much easier to fill the shells. Eating these were a messy affair but it saw me licking my fingers and picking everything that fell out of my shell and onto my plate.


I loved these; the freshness of the ingredients, the way the flavours all came together and the whole literally eating off your plate concept. I can't wait to throw a taco party :)

Beef Tacos [adapted from Super Food Ideas' March 2006 issue]


Ingredients

Homemade Guacamole [makes 2 cups]
2 avocados, roughly chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tomato, finely diced
1/4 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced

Homemade Thick and Chunky Salsa [makes 2 cups]
1 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 small green capsicum, finely diced
1 long red chili, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato pasta
500g tomatoes, diced

8 taco shells
400g minced beef, cooked
4 lettuce leaves, shredded
3 tomatoes, diced
2/3 cup salsa
2/3 cup grated tasty cheese
1/2 cup cream
2 cups guacamole

1. To make guacamole Place avocado in a shallow dish. Mash with a fork till smooth. Add onions, tomato, coriander, 2 tbsp lime juice and salt and pepper. Stir till well combined. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to serve.
2. To make salsa Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, cooking till soft. Add chili and capsicum, cook till tender. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes till thick. Remove from heat and cool completely.
   
3. Preheat oven to 180C. Leaving the provided 'wedge' in centre of shells, place them slightly apart on a baking tray. Heat for 7 minutes.
4. To assemble, place minced beef in taco shell, topped with lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.
   

Wheeee.

I've finally got my ice cream maker! :)

More on that for sure coming up when i get my photos sorted out.




:)

Midweek Cooking

One of the first things i always look out for when i'm skimming the menu at a restaurant or cafe is the chicken dishes, followed by the dessert section naturally. I guess i always think of chicken as the safer choice; i have a secret phobia that if i order any other kind of meat, it'll be served hard and way too overcooked. After all, it is pretty hard to go wrong with chicken right?

So it's no wonder that more often than not, though i am consciously trying to cook more with other meat, that i end up cooking chicken. Roasted, stir fried or just shredded over salad, i just love my chicken.

This was a pretty decent meal. Tasty and wholesome. It's one of those meals that make you feel better about yourself just by eating it, you know the kind that makes you feel instantly healthier because you ate it. If that in itself isn't rewarding enough, you could always use it as a reason to have another serving of dessert :)

I used a mix of white and brown rice to up the nutritional value. If you choose to do so, just be aware that brown rice needs a little more water than water does. So it's about 2 cups of water to 1 cup of brown rice, making it a total of 3 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of white rice and 1 cup of brown. Also, you might wanna place a tea towel over the rice pot but under the lid to absorb the steam while the rice is cooking. It makes the rice fluffier.

Chicken Omelette with Fried Rice


Ingredients
1 chicken breast fillet, sliced thinly
4 eggs
Generous dash of soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Vegetable oil
2 shallots, sliced thinly
1/2 bean sprouts, trimmed
Oyster sauce
Five Star powder
Garlic powder

2 cups of rice
Sesame oil
2 shallots, sliced thinly
1 small red capsicum, deseeded and finely chopped
1 can of corn kernels, drained
1 cup of frozen peas
Generous dash of soy sauce
Splash of fish sauce
Dash of chinese cooking wine

1. Marinate chicken strips with five star powder, garlic powder, a dash of soy sauce and black pepper. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
2. Heat a little vegetable oil in a wok. Fry chicken till cooked thorough. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Whisk eggs, shallot, soy sauce and garlic together in a bowl. Add more oil to the wok. Add egg and tilt to coat surface of wok. Cook till just set. Transfer omelette to a plate. Sprinkle with chicken and bean sprouts. Drizzle with oyster sauce.
4. To make fried rice Cook rice according to packet directions. If time permits, refrigerate rice as this makes it less mushy.
   
5. Heat oil in wok. Add shallots and capsicum, frying till softened. Add corn and peas, stirring well. Add rice, soy sauce, fish sauce, chicken cooking wine and black pepper to taste. Fry for a few minutes till heated thorough. Serve with chicken omelette. Serves 4
   

Comfort Food.

I fell in love with pumpkin soup the first time i tasted it. And it was out of a can, i must add. I had bought a couple cans of Campbell soup in attempt to eat a little healthier back in the days where cooking meant dumping a pack of instant noodles into boiling water.

I was so in love with it, i raved about it to a friend who wisely told me as with everything else, fresh pumpkin soup was SO much better.


Rewind a couple weeks ago, i was leisurely wandering around the market with my shopping list in hand when i noticed every vegetable stall in sight had tons and tons of pumpkin just lying around. I just knew i had to buy some and got myself half a little Japanese pumpkin.


Isn't that just the cutest pumpkin half you've ever seen? It could be just me, but it kind of looks like a little heart. I adore its bright orange hue, such a warm and cheery colour.

The only thing i had to do was look for a good pumpkin soup recipe. So i went to one of the few sites i knew that wouldn't let me down to try my luck and viola, i found it right here. All it took was a quick glance at the ingredient list to ensure me that this was gonna be a promising recipe. To boot, i had frozen chicken stock from a huge pot i had made a couple of weeks ago. Perfect. I was delighted and really excited to be churning out my very own pumpkin soup.


This was just, for lack of a better word, scrumptious. I knew from the start i wouldn't be let down when i had just added the pumpkin and stock into the pot and was hit by the most intoxicating aroma. But really, it was just heaven in a bowl. It was warm, hearty with just the right amount of heat from the spices, everything you could want in a bowl of soup and so much more. If pumpkins are in season where you live now, and hell even if they aren't, make this and i promise you, you won't regret it.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup [adapted from Elise.com]


Ingredients
50g butter
2 medium white onions, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
6 cups roasted pumpkin
5 cups chicken stock

1. Melt butter in a large pot. Fry onions and garlic till softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and stir for one minute.
2. Add pumpkin and chicken stock, stirring well. Bring to boil, then let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Blend in batches till smooth. Feel free to add milk to thin the soup or cream and brown sugar if it's too spicy. Serves 8
   

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice.

It feels like ages since i last made anything with the oven and my fingers were just itching to do something. So off i went to flip through my ever-growing file stuffed full with recipes to try. Before long, i stumbled upon this recipe for cinnamon sugar-crusted macadamias.


Now i'm not really into being creative with nuts. I enjoy them in their raw wholesome goodness and occasionally in peanut butter but that's about as far as nuts go for me. So typically, this would have hardly warranted a glance from me. However, just below the title were these tiny words 'Repeated from December '05/January '06 issue due to popular demand' that caught my sight. To be repeated within a span of six months, they had to be pretty damned good.


Well, they weren't too bad. I love the slightly chewy cinnamon meringue coating but i'm not too crazy about the amount of coating each nut had. Two seconds after you pop it into your mouth, the coating dissolves and you're left with the nut to munch on. These would be more appropiate with almonds or hazelnuts if you ask me. Nevertheless, they're a nice change from the plain old nuts i'm used to.

Cinnamon Sugar-Crusted Macadamias [adapted from Super Food Ideas' July 2006 issue]


Ingredients
2 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/3 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
4 cups macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Line a roasting pan with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and cream of tartar in a large bowl till soft peaks form. Add caster sugar tablespoonful at a time, combining well.
3. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Add nuts and stir to coat well.
4. Spread mixture onto prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, using a metal spoon to break mixture up every 10 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Break up and store in an airtight jar. These will keep for up to three weeks.
   

Melbourne's Food&Wine Festival 2007

So there was a change of plans. Soon after i did that pasta post, within a span of thirty minutes, i got booked up for the weekend with birthday dinners. So out went my plans for cooking over the weekend.

Thank goodness my Saturday was left untouched; i had big plans to head down to Federation Square where the International FLOUR Festival was held. I had been looking forward to this for several weeks now, having read about it in the last issue of delicious.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, especially with the weather acting up on us. It simply couldn't make its mind up if to rain or shine, so it alternated between the two endlessly. One minute, we had our umbrellas out. The next minute, the rain had stopped abruptly and the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. And then just as quickly, the rain was back again. You get the picture.

Boy was i glad i made my way down. There was SO much going on there. The turnout was huge, in spite of the weather. There were so many of us huddling under umbrellas with a smile on our faces. You should have seen me grinning like a Cheshire cat as we were walking down the stairs leading to the open area where all the stalls were. I was SO excited from anticipating all they had to offer.
Right to left, clockwise: the cooking demonstration with the huge-ass screen, the map of the entire site, overview leading to the main booth area, the crowd braving the rain while glued to the cooking demo.

And they sure didn't let me down. The atmosphere was just fantastic. From cooking demonstrations to street performances, there was just plenty to indulge the senses in. They had such a variety of stalls selling everything imaginable, from Chinese takeaway to ice cream to tea oils. There was a really cool stall giving away fresh cut fruits in attempt to promote local fruit stalls and encourage people especially the kids to eat more fruits. What a wonderful way to promote healthy living.

Right to left, clockwise: A baker's dream ingredients- organic flour of all sorts., wacky street performers, quirky guys on 'horses'- they must have incredibly strong leg muscles with all the trotting they had to do, ice cream sold in Chinese takeout boxes.

So we stayed for a bit, wandering from stall to stall, inquisitively making our way around the whole area. I was pretty curious about this particular brand of ice cream; i'm a sucker for pretty packaging, plus they had free sampling. Taste wise, the flavours didn't blow me away but still, the whole Chinese takeout box was just too cute.

Right to left, clockwise: The view of the Yarra River, the delicious magazine booth, the so ever tempting chocolate booth, parting shot of the area,

There was this one booth with such a queue we just had to check it out. Turns out they were selling chocolate, both the drinking and eating kind. As if beautifully packaged chocolate bars labelled 70% dark and chili and cinnamon infused hot chocolate didn't have me wishing Easter was here, they were serving these glorious, fluffy buns, freshly out of the oven, topped with a choice of milk, dark chocolate or both. I must have stood there for a good ten minutes, imagining what it would be like to have that heavenly looking bun.

Shots of my goody bag containing a delicious tea towel, the April issue of delicious, the Wicked cookbook, a box of white tea, a pack of salt flakes, a bottle of olive tomato sauce, a bag of pasta, a can of tuna and 2 little smiley Chocolate Bunnies :)

Just as we were leaving, i caught sight of the delicious booth and happily made my way there, curious to see what they had to offer. Much to my delight, they were offering a luxurious goody bag to go with every new subscription. I signed up for a year's subscription in an instant and walked away with my goody bag feeling like a kid on Christmas Day. I can't wait to try some of the desserts in the cookbook; while leafing through it, i practically had to restrain myself from licking the pages.

It really was a fantastic event. Such inviting atmosphere with great food and entertaining performances. I'm so glad i checked it out this year. Rain or shine, food really does bring people together :)

Oh by the way, just as a friendly reminder, if you're in ACT, VIC, SA or NSW, daylights saving ends tomorrow. Remember to set those clocks back by an hour [hurray to one more hour of sleep! :)].

Piri-piri Chicken

Did you know the word Piri-piri actually describes the African bird's eye chili in Portuguese and a number of African languages [courtesy of Wikipedia of course]. Well i didn't until i googled it, for the four-ish years I've been enjoying Nando's in Melbourne.

Speaking of Nando's, you've absolutely got to go to one of their many outlets if you haven't dropped by already. The marinated chicken is just fantastic. We always ask for our takeaway to be spicy hot [you get to choose how spicy you want it], eagerly wait for our number to come up, collect the pack gingerly and do everything we can not to appear nuts by running home to devour our chicken pieces and chips as piping hot as possible. Once we get home and the door is shut, that's where the real eating begins. We simply tear the pack open and start gorging on the first piece we lay our hands on. Licking of fingers thorough the meal is a must and hardly any words are exchanged across the table until all that's left are bones, sparkling clean bones. It is rather embarrassing but i have to admit that in our eagerness to have Nando's for dinner one evening last year, we happily rushed out the door, locking ourselves out in the process. And yes we ended up waiting two hours for the locksmith. So yes, now the secret's out, you know what gluttons, and very unglamorous ones at that, my sister and i are.

I've always wondered how Nando's made those chicken so damned addictive. So naturally, i had to give this recipe a shot.

While this didn't blow me away, it was pretty decent. The chicken was moist, juicy and really flavourful, with a tang of sourness and just a hint of spiciness. I definitely wouldn't say no to making this again but between this and the pasta last night, given that they call for the same ingredients, the pasta wins hands down.

Piri-piri Chicken [adapted from Australian Good Taste, February 2007 issue]


Ingredients
2 Marylands
6 cloves of garlic, in chunks
4cm piece of ginger
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp dried hot chili flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh continental parsley

1. To make piri-piri marinade, process garlic, ginger, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add chili flakes and parsley and stir till combined.
2. Place chicken in a sealable bag. Pour marinade in, making sure to coat chicken well. Place in fridge for at least 4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease baking tray with extra olive oil. Place chicken in tray, skin side up, discarding extra marinade. Drizzle over olive and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 50 minutes, brushing the chicken with pan juices occasionally, till chicken is golden brown and juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a skewer. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and chips.
   

Quick and Easy Pasta.

I'm honestly not really a pasta person. Four out of five times my friends and i head to Lygon Street for some Italian feasting will see me ordering pizzas. Now that i absolutely love, i could eat pizza every day for the rest of my life :)

But in view of all the food gorging i'll be doing over the weekend [i've piri-piri chicken, lamb cutlets and roast beef on the menu to conclude the week], i decided to stick with something a little lighter and healthier than usual.

My attention was drawn to this recipe mainly because of its light dressing. Plus it called for zucchini, which i never had in my kitchen before today. I've read numerous recipes involving the vegetable but never got down to looking for it at the local supermarket so this dish seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce something new to my tastebuds.

I played around with the proportions as well as the ingredients used to use up all the stuff i had in the fridge. So feel free to up the amount of lemon juice or chili if you like your food a little more sour or spicy.


I love how this dish turned out. It was slightly tangy with a hint of heat and had such wonderful flavour from the cheese and vegetables. I love the delicate flavour zucchini has, can't wait to start cooking or baking with it more.

All in all, this was a really light and easy to prepare pasta dish that won't leave you wishing that you hadn't eaten it after you did. In fact, it'll probably leave you wanting more :)

Oh just a little tip, if, like me, you hate peeling garlic cloves, pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds on high. The skins will slip right off but be sure to let them cool for a bit, they're pretty hot straight out of the microwave.

Zucchini and Feta Pasta [adapted from Super Food Ideas' September 2005 issue]


Ingredients
5 handfuls of penne pasta
1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 slices of ham, chopped
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, diced
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
70g feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 handfuls of baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped flat parsley leaves

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, following instructions on packet, until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add garlic, chili, zucchini and ham, cooking till zucchini is light golden, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add pasta into pan, stirring well. Add feta, parsley, spinach and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss over low heat till well combined and heated through. Serves 4
   

Calling All Peanut Butter Lovers.

I love peanut butter. I eat it on slices of bread, plain, toasted or with strawberry jam, on crackers, melted with ice cream, and yes of course straight out of the jar on a spoon. I simply adore it.

Which is why i knew i had to try this recipe out the instant i saw it. With oats, honey and sunflower seed kernels, how wrong could it really go?

Mixing all the ingredients together emanated such a heavenly aroma it took all my willpower not to eat the mixture right out of the bowl there and then. If it smelled this good before baking, i knew it would be worth the wait.

And indeed it was. I had 2 slices at one sitting, real display of willpower i know :) The taste of the peanut butter was perfect, strong enough for it to be the star of the slice but not overpowering. But it was the texture of these slices that really blew me away. The top and sides were crusty while the slices, packed with all that nuts and wholemeal flour, had a nice crunchy and grainy texture. I love how nutritious they feel. The slices are really dense but oh so good. They'll be perfect for breakfast or a snack any time of the day with a cup of tea :)

Just a couple of tips, lining the pan with aluminum foil works just as well as greasing the pan and then lining it with baking paper. Also, lightly coating the measuring cup with oil before you measure out the peanut butter will make it tons easier for you to empty it. Oh, when mixing everything together, the mixture will get really dense, just continue combining it with your hands before pressing it into the pan.


I know this is totally way off track but i just have to put this up. Isn't that just the most gorgeous shade of sunset? Finally, after 2 whole years of admiring the amazing view of the sun setting at a friend's place, i've finally got an apartment with the same facing. Gotta love it. It's no wonder, with such great view and all the wonderful morning sunlight pouring in, i'm practically springing out of bed every morning ;)


Peanut Butter and Oat Slice [taken from the Australian Good Taste magazine]


Ingredients
Melted butter, to grease
1/2 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
80g butter
1 egg, lightly whisked

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a 17x27cm slice pan with melted butter. Line the base and 2 long sides with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl, returning husks to the bowl. Add sugar, oats, coconut, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, stir to combined. Make a well in the center.
3. Place the peanut butter, butter and honey in a saucepan, melting over low heat. Stir till melted and well combined. Add peanut butter mixture and egg to flour mixture, stirring well.
4. Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till slice is golden brown and set. Set aside to cool completely before cutting. Makes 20 pieces
   

My Favourite Way to Start the Day.

This is exactly what i'm talking about. Peanut butter liberally spread on a slice of bread, then toasted to perfection. The peanut butter spread forms a nice toasty exterior while thick, warm melted peanut butter gushes into your mouth the minute you bite into it. You've to try this if you've never done it before. Just watch the bread closely, i burnt half of mine :)


Coupled with a steaming mug of Milo, i'm ready to go kick some ass and start the day.

Of Sushi and Its Likes.

A year ago, if you had offered me a plate of sashimi, i would have turned my nose up at it and told you i don't eat raw fish. The horror of it all and utter lack of appreciation of one of the finest dishes in the world, i know.

All that changed last year one afternoon i was starving during a two hour lecture. With the ten minutes break given midway through class, i rushed out to the sushi store at uni, eager to lay my hands on just about anything. As luck would have had it, the store was about to close and only had salmon handrolls left. Out of utter desperation, i ordered one, generously doused it with soy sauce and headed back to class. One bite of it was all it took. The fresh salmon and generous serve of rich Japanese mayo really hit the spot. I was completely sold and have never looked back since.

So yes, i really enjoy and indulge in Japanese cuisine now, actively fighting with the rest of my family members for that last piece of tuna and salmon. They usually graciously give it to me, probably out of pity that i've missed out on the good stuff almost all my life.

As far as Japanese restaurants in Melbourne are concerned, there is only one place that really knocks my socks off each time we eat there. Perhaps i haven't ventured out far enough, given the budget i live on but you really can't go wrong with Asakusa Japanese Restaurant.


The place itself is kinda small, with just one sashimi chef, a couple of wait staff and maybe about fifteen tables. But do not be fooled by its exterior, this place is packed to its brim every night it's opened. And it has damn good reason to be.

Green Peas [$6]

I love these peas. Saltish and warm straight from the oven, it simply is irresistible. They do give you a little dish of complimentary beans but that is never enough to satisfy us. It's a little pricey though going at 6 bucks per bowl, considering it is a bowl of green peas.

Asakusa Sashimi and Sushi Set [Main- $36]

Just looking at that picture's making me salivate though i just had this last night. The sashimi is SO damned fresh it practically melts in your mouth. And it's all so exquistely presented. We had the honour of sitting near the chef's counter a couple times we've been there when the crowd hadn't streamed in yet. His fingers are so swift and nimble he makes it all look so easy. We were in awe just watching him slice a chunk of cucumber. So anyway, where was i.. oh yes the sashimi set. Being the greedy person that i am, i ordered a main serve of the sashimi and sushi set which had me really stuffed halfway through, which happens every time i order it. But it really was too damned good not to enjoy it so i ate and ate, occasionally begging for help with the amount of food i had in front of me and well eventually, we polished it all off. Here's hoping i learn my lesson this time round.


This was essentially similar to what i had, i can't remember which item it is on the menu, except the sashimi lying on a bed of sushi rice. I was pretty fascinated by the way in which it was presented. Pretty cute if you ask me.

So there you have it, our favourite place in Melbourne to indulge in some Japanese food.

Have a great start to the week tomorrow you guys! :)

***
Asakusa Japanese Restaurant
127 Waverly Road
Malvern East
Vic 3145
Dinner: 1730-2230 Tuesdays to Sundays
Tel: (03) 9569 2051

Cupcakes To Start the Day With.

In my quest to give up chocolate for Lent [better late than never if you ask me, and yes those chocolate and macadamia brownies, irresistible as they sound, will just have to wait. they'll be the first thing baking in my oven come Easter Sunday, that i promise you], i decided to go with some fruity cupcakes, something a little healthier.

Now, to be pretty honest, i was quite glad to break away from the whole chocolately affair. Sure i love my [dark] chocolate just as much as the next girl but my tastebuds were just begging to be tantalized by something with a little more oomph.

So i sifted through the dessert section of my To Try folder. The number of chocolate to non-chocolate recipes was about 5-1. But some patience did go quite a long way and eventually i found, sitting in a little corner, a recipe for apple, cinnamon and pecan cake. I substituted the pecans for macadamias i had on hand, upped the amount of ground cinnamon and did away with the dusting of icing sugar.

I absolutely love cinnamon so this was a sure winner for me, even in my head while i was making it. You have no idea how happy i was, finally getting my hands on some apple and cinnamon cupcakes. The chopped apple pie fruits made them moist while taking away nothing from the cinnamon flavour which i totally loved. The cupcake itself tasted more of apples than apple juice [i know they're essentially supposed to be the same thing with one being the fruit and the other the juice of the fruit but apple juice just taste nothing like apples to me. it's probably just me], which was great for me coz i wouldn't touch apple juice on its own with a ten foot pole. Apple and cinnamon, what a wonderful combination.

I'm so gonna try them without the fruits to see how they go, and probably another time with mashed bananas. I can't get over how delish and guilt-free these are. They sure have me looking forward to breakfast the next couple of days.

Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes [adapted from Super Food Ideas December '05 issue]


Ingredients
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar [if you don't like your fruits a little tart, add 1/3 cup more]
1 tsp vanilla essence
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple juice
2 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 ground cinnamon
1 1/2 canned apple pie fruit, chopped
Handful of macadamia, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on high for 3 minutes or till pale and creamy. Add in oil and juice. Combine well.
3. Sift flour, baking soda and cinnamon over egg mixture. Fold to combine.
4. Fill the liners with 2/3 of batter. Top with apple and pour over remaining batter. Top with macadamia and more apple if desired.
5. Bake for about 21 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. Dust with ground cinnamon and icing sugar (if desired). As with all cakes, this is best eaten warm.
   

Some Chinese Cooking.

To be perfectly honest, i'm sadly not one of those people you could throw a bunch of random ingredients at and can blow you away with delicious dishes that i seemed to have effortlessly whipped up. You know like, Ready Steady Cook? Yeah i would be so a deer caught in the headlights if i were even thrown into that show.

Which is why i was especially pleased at how easy and tasty tonight's dishes were [okay so they weren't random ingredients. but you get my point; i'm not brilliant at cooking]. I mean seriously, it was so easy to get everything prepared and organized and whip everything up half an hour before dinner time, except for the soup of course.

Just before i left Singapore, i had dinner with a couple of relatives in a restaurant where we had watercress and pork ribs soup, which i hadn't had in a while. I was just totally blew away by how simple yet deeply satisfying it was and had made a mental note to try recreate it when i get back to Melbourne, provided i could find watercress there. Lo and behold, as luck would have had it, guess what i found today and hence, made it onto the menu tonight?
I got the basic list of ingredients from FoodNotes [which is such a fanastic site by the way!]. I played around with the amounts, throwing in about two handfuls of red dates and a handful of dried scallops for sweetness. The soup was just great, light and refreshing with such fantastic flavour. Now i can satisfy my cravings for this soup any time i have it. I'll put it in the slow cooker the next time though just before i leave for school so it'll be ready by time i get back.



I made the Nestum Prawns from FoodNotes as well, substituting the chicken for prawns. I marinated the prawns first with a generous dash of five star powder and garlic powder. This was pretty good, with the spiciness of the chili cutting through the sweet Nestum. Much like the ones you get from bak tu teh [pork ribs tea soup] stalls in Singapore.



Lastly, i whipped up a simple spinach side dish which i got from Simple Recipes. This dish always reminds me of home; we routinely order either this or morning glory at chinese restaurants. This didn't disappoint as well. The spinach was tender with the bits of garlic i threw in [i must have used 8 cloves. you can so tell we love our garlic can't you?] giving it good flavour.

All righty, that's all for me tonight. I'm off to grab ice cream for dessert :) Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Egg, Leek and Bacon Pie.

There's nothing better to whet one's appetite than the aroma of a pie baking in the oven, the smell of the pastry puffing up and browning wafting through the apartment. Mmmm.. Way even this pie was done, we were all starving, impatiently waiting to sink our teeth into it.


The ingredients for this pie were simple enough, not needing anything you would have to hunt the whole state for. But when they do their magic in the oven and all come together, it is simply scrumptious, for lack of a better word to do this baby justice.

The fillings were moist, with a really flaky crust which was my favourite part of the dish. The shortcrust pastry really all came together quite easily and was really easy to handle [i threw in a couple handfuls of poppy seeds; i loved the crunch they lent]. So you're intimidating by the idea of making your own pastry, please don't be. If i can do it, you won't have a problem, trust me. If that doesn't convince you to give it a shot, fret not, you could easily use 600g of bought shortcrust instead. That aside, i'm personally not too huge a fan of egg yolks, especially baked ones but it did lend quite a nice texture to the dish. Plus it made the individual slices of the pie look stunning. This is definitely one pie to bring to a party you wanna impress!

If you're still not the least bit tempted to make this, at least do it for the crust; i still can't get over how good it was!

On a totally separate note, this recipe comes from Belinda Jeffrey's new book, Mix & Bake. I SO want it! I'm just revving to try her tomato and basil pie, as well as her macadamia and chocolate chip brownie. Stay tuned for that! :)

Egg, Leek and Bacon Pie [adapted from delicious, March '07 issue]


Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
165g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water

1. Combine flour and salt into a large bowl. Scatter butter all over flour, using your fingertips to rub them in. When almost the butter is combined with the flour, make a well and pour 1/4 cup of the cold water in. Mix well, adding a little more cold water if needed each time until a pliable dough forms. Form a disk and wrap tightly in cling wrap for at least 40 minutes.

Just a couple tips:

• Keep ingredients, even the flour, cold for best results. You could put the mixing bowl in the fridge as well.
• Always use your fingertips to work the butter in; it's the coolest part of your hands.
  
• Sifting the flour and salt before rubbing in the butter will help lighten the mixture.
• Butter that's too soft and melts into flour will result in flat and greasy pastry. To prevent this, chop butter first, refrigerate it then measure out and sift flour and salt.
• Do not totally combine butter bits with flour. Leave bits of butter lying around. These pockets of fat will result in a flakier crust.
  
• Do not use low or reduced fat ingredients for making the pastry. They have too high water content.
• Handle pastry as little as possible with your hands.
  

Fillings
2 large leeks (white portion only), roughly chopped
8 large bacon rashers, rind removed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley [i sprinkled mixed herbs instead, worked well]
1 tbsp chopped chives
11 eggs
1/2 cup milk or cream
ground nutmeg, to taste
1 egg yolk with 1 tsp water, to glaze

1. Remove pastry from fridge to allow to return to room temperature. Place leeks in the microwave, partially covered with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until they're just tender. Leave to cool.
2. Fry bacon over medium heat until pale golden. Leave to cool as well.
3. Preheat oven to 190C. Separate pastry into 2 balls; two-third for pastry case, one-third for lid. Roll the larger ball on a lightly floured surface until it's large enough to line a 24cm or 26 cm tart tin. Gently lift off work surface and into tin, easing into corners and leaving a little pastry hanging ove the edge. Roll the remaining pastry to make a lid, then leave in a cool spot.
4. Scatter leeks and most of bacon on pastry case. Sprinkle half portion of herbs over the top. Break each of the 10 eggs on top [don't sweat if you break a yolk, it's no biggie]. Scatter the rest of the bacon and herbs over the top.
5. Whisk the remaining egg and milk together, drizzling over the top. Sprinkle nutmeg and ground black pepper.
6. Dampen the edges of the pastry case with a bit of water and drape pastry lid over the top, allowing it to gently settle over the mound of each egg. Press both pastries together and seal. Trim away overhanging pastry, leaving 2 cm rim all the way round. Roll the rim in to form a border for the pie and pinch tightly to seal. Taking care not to pierce the yolks, use a fork to poke holes in the pastry lid to allow steam to escape while baking. Brush the top with egg-yolk glaze.
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until pie is golden and smells wonderful. Allow to cool completely in pan on wire rack before serving. Will keep well in fridge for 3-4 days. Serves 6-8.
   

Chocolate Chip Nestum Cookies

One of the things I firmly believe in is the importance of loving yourself. No matter how stressed out you are, find some time each day to do something that you love, be it catching up with a friend over coffee, hitting the gym, baking, you get the picture. I really do believe that if you take care of your mind and body, they’ll serve you well. I often find that a good workout lifts my spirits; it leaves me with a ‘top of the world’ feeling, recharged to tackle whatever awaits me.

So living by this motto, I headed to the gym today. A good run and swim totally did the trick as I found myself happier and more relaxed than I’ve been since classes started, ready to conquer the world. Since I was in such good spirits, I decided to whip up a batch of Nestum cookies I’ve been dreaming of for a couple days now.

My cookies didn’t spread much, probably due to the reduced amount of butter used. I tweaked the original recipe quite a bit, choosing to cut down on the sugar by adding a little honey instead. Nothing like some good natural sugar :)

They were crunchy on the outside and chewy inside with subtle sweetness drawn out with every bite. I love how well the dark chocolate paired perfectly with the hone. They do taste pretty good despite being relatively healthy. Just thinking about it’s making me salivate. I’m off to the kitchen to grab another cookie =)

Chocolate Chip Nestum Cookies

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup wholemeal flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey
½ cup brown sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 cups Nestum
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven at 175C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add egg and vanilla into butter mixture, beating well. Fold in flour mixture, followed by Nestum and chocolate.
4. Place dough on prepared tray by the tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes till edges start to brown.
   

Dinner for Two.

Anniversaries.. with the always mind-boggling question of what gift to get and dinner plans to organize, thank goodness they only come by once a year.

This year, i was entrusted with the responsibility of making dinner plans, okay so it was more like i took it upon myself by tricking him into agreeing so a couple months ago when he wasn't really paying attention. I had been happily bookmarking interesting restaurants in Melbourne, adding them to the 'possible venues' list when i realized we were arriving here the day before the actual day itself. So he asked that i cook dinner, "anything simple" he said.

In typical us fashion, come the day itself, we both decide that we were too tired to head down to the market that morning. Plus, with uni starting the next day and him having to head back to his own place which is a distance from the city where i stay, we were under quite a time constraint and decide to mark the occasion some other time in the week.

That some other time turned out to be yesterday and i took his suggestion to make something simple literally; namely a burger with baked potatoes and salad on the side and chocolate mousse for dessert. This meal was so simple i only spent an hour in the kitchen prepping everything after returning from the market, had tons of time to watch my Criminal Mind series [which is SO good by the way. Comes highly recommended by me if you like shows like CSI and Law & Order. I'm not a fan of both shows because the shows tend to skim through the plots way too quickly to build up any form of suspense for me . This show kicks their ass anytime :)], and another hour cooking everything. Of course, it helped that i had the day off school :)

I was pleased as punch about how everything turned out. They were all recipes i was cooking with a leap of faith and i was honestly prepared to be let down a little. But they were so good even my sis, who had been sitting with us chatting throughout dinner, asked that i cook her a patty [the recipe makes plenty and trust me, my patties were huge and thick] and went on to dutifully gobble up my portion of the dessert.



The recipe for the meat patties can be found here. I knew i had to make them the instant i saw them. "Large, flattened Swedish meatballs", how can anyone resist that? The red onions did add a nice crunch to it but the roughly crushed biscuits i used somehow disappeared into the mixture.

While meat patties by themselves were not as flavourful as i had hoped they would be [I would probably add herbs, lots more pepper and use Japanese breadcrumbs instead the next time i make this], paired with an egg, couple of leaves, topped with a dollop of Djion mustard and sandwiched between a wholemeal bun, the burgers were juicy, tasty and so very filling.


If you ask me, the chocolate mousse really stole the show last night. One of the best i've ever tasted actually. Rich, creamy with a smooth, velvet texture melting slowly into a thick gooey puddle as you devour it. It's everything i expect chocolate mousse to be, and so much more.

All in all, a relatively quick and wonderful meal that i look forward to serving again. It might have been a simple meal but it was really the company and the cause of celebration that mattered :)

Frozen Chocolate Mousse [taken from Super Food Idea's Feb 2006 issue]



60g dark chocolate, chopped
60g unsalted butter, chopped
2 tsp rum
2 eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
Cocoa powder, to serve

1. Lightly grease two 3/4-capacity ramekins. Line base and sides with plastic wrap, allowing plenty of overhang.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl, then in the microwave, microwaving 20 seconds and stirring, repeating till melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add caster sugar and mix well.
4. Add egg yolks and run to chocolate mixture, mixing well. Stir 1/3 of whites into mixture, and fold the rest in gently.
5. Spoon into prepared ramekins, folding over excess wrap to cover. Freeze for at least 3 hours.
6. To serve, gently easy mousse from ramekins. Turn out onto chilled serving plates and dust with cocoa. Serves 2.
   

Whaaat Pears?

There is no better way to start the weekend than heading down to the local market to shop for produce as fresh as you can get them, save for making your way down to the farms themselves, and immerse your senses in the wonderful burst of colour, the sound of the butchers yelling to grab your attention and the aroma of freshly baked bread. So that’s exactly where I headed this morning, armed with a shopping list and huge recyclable grocery bag.

The beauty about the Queen Victoria market is that any day of the week you head there, except for Mondays and Wednesdays when they’re closed, the place is just bursting with so much life and energy. There’s always a busker or two around the corner, people chatting animatedly over a cup of coffee and toddlers munching on a fruit while sitting in the shopping trolley, getting whatever they’re snacking on all over their faces the way kids do.

The minute I stepped into the market, I literally felt all the stress I’ve been feeling for the past week from starting the Honours program this week just melt away.

There’s a whole variety of stuff available at the market, ranging from pets to clothes to plants right down to, you guessed it, food. So you could really go for hours on end here. But seeing as I had to prepare for a belated anniversary dinner tonight, I bee lined my way to the produce section. There were truckloads of berries, mangoes, peaches and bananas displayed at stalls, looking like they were just bursting with flavour. I really had to resist grabbing them all. It really wasn’t an easy thing to do, given how I’ve been known to lug a whole box of mangoes while carrying a huge bag stuffed full with meat, fruits and vegetables throughout the twenty odd minutes walk home.

As I was making my way around the fruit stalls, a fruit monger using a pair of tongs to handle these fruits when serving a lady customer caught my attention. So much so I just stood beside her, wondering what these little things really were before striking up a conversation with her. She seemed more than happy to satisfy my curiosity and explained that these were called prickly pear and they tasted exactly like mangoes. Now that certainly got my attention and I couldn’t leave without getting a couple to see what they were like for myself. The fruit monger handed me a bag and the tongs he was using. These didn’t quite look prickly to me, but I certainly didn’t want to find out the hard way.

Upon reaching home, I immediately turned to the trusty Google to find out more about this intriguing looking fruit. It turns out that they’re found mostly thoroughly Mexico and, really as no surprise, are part of the cactus family.

I had no idea what they would look like with their skins off and was pleasantly surprised by their bright orange hue. They were pretty sweet and tasted a lot like papayas. They actually remind me a lot of durians; given their intimidating exterior, you would never have guessed their flesh would be edible, what more so delicious.

Do buy some, if you ever see them selling at your local market. They’re really worth trying and pretty yummy at that. Just be warned though, their needles detach really readily from their skin so always always wear gloves when handling them. Oh and be really sure to remove the skin thoroughly before eating them.

Have a great weekend everyone! I know I will :)