Sunday, June 29, 2008

#338 Fish dip : recipe #216


Tartare sauce is a great accompaniment to fish , particularly baked fish fillets. I ran short of tartare sauce the other day so I made my own dip .

What you need:
3 tbsp low fat mayonnaise- you can use normal mayonnaise too
1 tsp dried tarragon
a squeeze of lemon
1 tsp french mustard

steps:
- mix all ingredients in a bowl
-serve with fish

Saturday, June 28, 2008

#337 Yet another cupcake

Friday, June 27, 2008

#336 Spinach Casserole: recipe #215


I went to Supa save this morning after my visit to the dentist. I planned to make some spinach calzone , so I bought a packet of frozen spinach. However, for lunch I made this cheesy spinach casserole for the kids . They loved it and they requested that I should make the casserole for tomorrow's lunch. Here's the recipe

What you need:

A)
Frozen spinach 5 cubes ; thawed
Butter -2 tsp
garlic- 1 tsp

- In a skillet, add butter and chopped garlic
- when the garlic turns light brown, add in the spinach, fry for 2 minutes.
- place the cooked spinach in a casserole

B)
olive oil
chopped onion - 1 tbsp
1 tbsp all purpose flour
milk-1/2 cup
bread crumbs -2 tbsp
cream cheese- 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp each: dried oregano, dried basil , dried parsley.
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheddar cheese for topping.

- Using the same skillet ( in A) , add olive oil and add the chopped onion, saute it until soft.
- Add the flour, and fry it for 2 minutes
- Add in the milk and stir until combine
- Add in the cream cheese , the herbs and the seasonings. Adjust the taste.
-Add in the bread crumbs and stir.
- Pour the cheese mixture onto the spinach
- top the spinach mixture with grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celcius until the cheese browns.

Recipe source; HOT "N" SWEET BOWL

#334 Char Koay Teow : recipe #214


Ingredients:

A) Chili sauce - to be prepared earlier
oil for frying ~ original recipe uses lard
1 tsp shrimp paste
1tsp chopped garlic
chili sauce
1 tsp pepper
sugar
a little water

- heat oil in a pan, add in garlic and shrimp paste till brown, add the rest and boil gently for 3 minutes.

B)
1 tsp salt dissolved in 1/4 cup water
oil for frying ~ original recipe uses lard as well
2 eggs
2 tsp pounded garlic
bean sprouts
chives or spring onions
dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet thick black soy sauce
300 gm kway teow
prawns ~ original recipe uses cockles and Chinese sausages

steps:
1) Heat large wok until smoking hot. Add oil and fry garlic till light brown. Add kway Teow and bean sprouts. Add in the salt water and dark soy sauce. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
2) Add more oil and scramble the eggs. Mix scramble eggs into noodles.
3) Add prepared chili sauce
4) Make space in the centre of noodles. Add prawns and cover with noodles. Add in the chives/ spring onions and sweet thick soy sauce. Toss for 1 minute. Serve hot.

recipe adapted from Chef to Chef net.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

#334 Blueberry Custard Tart : recipe #213



My hubby craved for egg tarts but I made this instead.

Makes 12 tarts
Crust:
frozen puff pastry - thaw before using
Filling:
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp custard powder
blueberries preserved.
1 pinch of salt

Method:
1. Beat together eggs, whipping cream, sugar and custard powder.
2. Place the thawed puff-pastry into greased muffins pan.
3. Spread blueberries in the base of the puff pastry and pour the custard over. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees celcius.


#333 Blueberry cake with cream cheese topping # recipe 212


I usually baked chocolate cakes for birthdays. So I decided to bake a blueberry cake for Dayini's birthday instead. Here's the recipe

Cake:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 eggs
2 cups all- purpose flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of sugar
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh milk
500 gm preserved blueberries

Method:
-Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time
- In a separate bowl sift together flour, soda and salt. Fold into the egg mixture alternately with milk.
- Stir in the blueberries. Pour the batter into a greased 20 cm pan. Bake at 180 degrees celcius for about 35-45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing it.

Topping:
2 cups cream cheese
icing sugar- amount up to you to adjust.

Recipe source: Chef Wan's sweet treats

#332 Steamed eggplant with spicy coconut sauce : recipe #211


Another way you can cook your eggplant. This is truly a Malay cuisine.

Ingredients:
2 large long-type eggplant -steamed , cut into pieces, arranged in a platter.

sauce:
Blended together:
1 large fresh red chili
6 candle nuts
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp coconut cream
1/4 cup water

seasoning:
salt& sugar or chicken stock powder

steps to make the sauce:
Pour the blended ingredients into a pan, let it boil, add in the seasoning, adjust the taste and pour over the steamed egg plants. Enjoy :)

Sunday, June 22, 2008

#331 What I made today.....

Saturday, June 21, 2008

#330 The beach

#329 Pumpkin Pudding; recipe # 210


I made this yesterday. The texture was very soft, just like bread pudding. If you want to turn this recipe into a "bingka" you have to add more flour, may be about 1/2 to 1 cup more. The sweetness of this pudding is average , you may want to reduce the sugar, if you are not a sweet tooth person like me. So here goes..

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups mashed, steamed pumpkin
3/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2 large eggs
3/4 thick coconut milk
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour

steps:
Mix all ingredients except flour in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the flour and stir again.
Grease a baking tray. Pour in the mixture. Bake in the oven at 180 C for 20 minutes reduce to 140 C for 30 minutes and 180 C again for another 15 minutes

Friday, June 20, 2008

#328 Blood Lily





This is a unique flower in my backyard. I just discovered that it originates from tropical Africa.
The spectacular flowerhead is a huge spherical umbel consisting of up to 100 flowers, held clear of the foliage at the end of a solitary stem. The plant flowers only once a year.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

#327 Memoirs... June 2007






I posted these pics in my photoblog last year. I did not post these here. I was not familiar with any of these students when I took the pics. However, some are now my students and some I met at the HEP room... so these are for you *wink*

Saturday, June 14, 2008

#326 Mrs Lim's Farewell... :(


Another history for PTEB. Our beloved Principal will retire soon. She will be working for another 4 days. Today is a surprise farewell for her from all ptebians. It was a tearful and heartfelt event.

Mrs Lim, this is for you:
Retirement is the time of your life
for you to be
all that you planned to be.
To live life for the moment
to live happy, wild, and free.

I don't like to write... so let my picture speaks.... to all Ptebians, Happy Holidays... YOU ARE FREE TO USE THE PICTURES IN MY ALBUM... BUT PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SOURCE . Thank you.








Wednesday, June 11, 2008

#325 Carrots~ Daucus carota

Facts:
A super source of beta carotene,
a powerful anticancer,
artery-protecting - so prevent your blood vessels from artherosclerosis
immune-boosting - so you will not get sick easily
infection-fighting - helps to fight "germs"
antioxidant with wide protective powers.

A carrot a day slashed stroke rates in women by 68 percent.
The beta-carotene in one medium carrot cuts lung cancer risk in half, even among formerly heavy smokers.
High doses of beta carotene, as found in carrots substantially reduces odds of degenerative eye diseases e.g. cataracts
Reduces the odds of chest pain (angina).
The high soluble fiber in carrots depresses blood cholesterol.
NOTE:Cooking can make it easier for the body to absorb carrot's beta-carotene.

To summarise...... Carrots,

• protects against lung cancer
• protects against ovarian cancer
• protects against bladder cancer
• Reduces smokers cough/wheeze
• Prevention and therapy for Gastrointestinal infections.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Link updated *shouting*

Block 1 and 4... as promised I have updated the links for core Q.. enjoy your reading assignments okay! have a nice weekend :)

Sunday, June 01, 2008

#323 Country Cottage puffs : recipe#209


For supper on Friday, I was running out of idea on what to prepare for the family. I took out my rolled oats from the pantry and there it was a very simple recipe for me to use. Off course, if you read my previous post, I just look at the ingredients and use approximation to make this somewhat interesting puffs. The reason why they are interesting? the filling tasted like minced chicken...

Ingredients:
puff pastry

Filling : to be mix together
cream cheese -melted
1 egg
soya sauce
chicken stock powder
rolled oats


- fill the thawed puff pastry with the cream cheese filling
- bake at 200 C until golden brown

#322: Blood Pressure numbers

Remember your last trip to the clinic and your blood pressure was taken? Do you know what those numbers represent? do you know where your blood pressure lies? Do you check your blood pressure regularly? Here are the categories :

Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults over 18 (in mmHg, millimeters of
mercury)

Category Systolic (top number) Diastolic (bottom number)
Normal Less than 130 Less than 85
Prehypertension 130–139 85–89
High BP Stage 1 140–159 90–99
High BP Stage 2
160-179
100-109
High BP Stage 3
180-209
110-119
High BP Stage 4
>210
>120
Why are the B.P numbers important?. Firstly the top number represent the Systolic pressure, which is the maximum arterial pressure achieved and the diastole pressure is the number at the bottom which is the minimum blood pressure recorded in the aorta.

Constant high blood pressure , or hypertension or "darah tinggi" is harmful. It makes the heart work harder and causes the arteries to narrow ( saluran darah mengecil). This increases the chance of fats to get deposited in the artery lumen. Which may lead to heart attacks or heart failure. The systole number show how hard your heart is working.

The bottom number indicates the resistance of the arteries to blood flow. If the number is high, that's means that the person's arteries may have some atherosclerosis ( saluran darah mengecil).
~ Oh no!